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Summer in Texas can be described in one word: brutal.

Summertime in Texas, even in the Northern parts, can range in the triple-digits (100+ degrees) for at least three to four months out of the year, and sometimes longer. The hot, dry weather can wreak havoc on your foundation, and it can be a long term cause of more problems when it comes to the structure of your home.

The following are some effects of this hot, dry Texas summer weather on your home’s foundation:

Causes Cracks in Foundations:

The constant heat can cause the moisture that’s in your foundation to evaporate through the course of the hottest and driest months of the year. Your foundation and the beams supporting your home may respond by developing cracks. Your house can slowly start to sink over time if the issue is not addressed appropriately. Each time your house resettles, it can sink lower and lower unit you have a noticeable problem.

Causes Soil to Shrink:

The constant dry weather and lack of moisture can cause the soil around your foundation to shrink, which leaves more of your foundation exposed to airflow. The more airflow that can get to your foundation, the more chances there are that your foundation will crack throughout the year’s hottest months. Some types of soil are more likely to shrink faster than others, but all soils can shrink in some manner.

How Do I Protect My Home From Summer Weather?

If you are looking to protect your foundation during the hottest summer months in Texas, you will have to take some steps to ensure that your foundation remains in good shape throughout the entire dry season. The following are some tips to help ensure that you are protecting the foundation of your home against cracks, sinking, and other disrepair:

• purchase a sprinkler system to help ensure that there is proper moisture in the soil surrounding your home
• be sure to water your lawn for short durations of time – 10 – 15 minutes is recommended for a start
• separate waterings by many hours to adequately ensure that the ground has proper time to soak up the water that’s provided to it
• doing this helps you avoid overwatering your lawn as it can cause leaks in your foundation

Following these tips can help keep your home’s foundation protected throughout Texas’s driest and hottest summer months. A small increase in your water bill can save you a lot of costs in repairs of the foundation of your home in the future.

Call Steady House Foundation Repair to Check Your Foundation:

If you have you feel that your home’s foundation may need additional care, please feel free to call us at Steady House Foundation Repair. We are here to help you organize the maintenance on your foundation and help you schedule your first appointment. Contact Us today at Steady House Foundation Repair in order to get your first appointment scheduled. We will provide you with a full continuum of services that will meet the needs of your home and your specific type of foundation.

In the late 40s and 50s, pier and beam foundations were the standard choice for home construction in central Texas. However, with the growth of the suburbs in the 60s and 70s, slab foundations became the norm. Although not as common today, pier and beam foundations remain in use in some parts of Texas.

Read on to learn what pier and beam foundations are and how they work.

What is a pier and beam foundation?

A pier and beam foundation is a type of foundation that consists of concrete piers that support beams. The beams, in turn, support the weight of the house.

How does a pier and beam foundation work

The piers that make up a pier and beam foundation are made of concrete and placed at intervals around the house perimeter and the interior if needed. The masons then place the beams, which support the weight of the house, on top of the piers. The space between the ground and the bottom of the beams, called crawl space, is typically left open.

Benefits of pier and beam foundations

• Stability on soil: Pier and beam foundations are not as susceptible to soil movement as slab foundations. This stability occurs because the weight of the house is supported by the piers, not by the soil itself.
• Drainage: Pier and beam foundations also allow better drainage than slab foundations. The space left under the house allows water to drain away from the foundation.
• Easier to repair: If there is a problem with a pier or beam, it is usually easier to mend than a slab foundation. The crawl space left behind allows access to the faulty piers and beams underneath the house.

Vulnerabilities of pier and beam foundations

• Foundation Settlement: If a pier settles, it can cause the beam it is supporting to shift and crack. However, the good news is that the settling rate of pier and beam foundations is slower than slab foundations.
• Moisture: Because of the open crawl space, moisture can enter the home through the foundation, leading to mold and mildew problems.
• Critters and insects: Open crawl spaces also provide easy access for pests and insects.

 

At Steady House Foundation Repair, we provide foundation repair services for pier and beam and slab foundations in  Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas area. We help out from straightforward foundation level up to the most complex. Our teams are also more than happy to answer any of your questions along the way. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From Hurricanes and tornadoes to floods and droughts, the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area is known for its fair share of natural disasters. In particular, prolonged droughts are widespread throughout Texas. Persistent dryness and drought conditions can cause severe damage to your home’s foundation. Remember, drought reduces the moisture levels in the soil, which causes your foundation to shrink. Please read on to find out how drought will affect your foundation in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area.

HOW DROUGHT AFFECTS YOUR FOUNDATION

A long-term lack of water causes the soil in your foundation to shrink. As the soil shrinks, it creates air spaces between your home’s foundation and the ground below it. The foundation starts cracking as it starts settling against the new gaps.

In particular, the type of soil in your yard will determine the extent of damage that the drought condition will cause to your soil. For instance, foundations sitting on clay-heavy ground are most likely to suffer the adverse effects of drought than those sitting on sandy soils. Remember, Texas has much more clay soil than sandy soil. This explains why the foundations in Texas are prone to drought damage.

SIGNS THAT YOUR FOUNDATION IS BEING AFFECTED BY DROUGHT

Here are warning signals that drought has caused damage to your home’s foundation:

• Your floors are uneven
• Your windows and doors are difficult to close and open.
• Bowed walls
• Cracked floors- Cracks stretching wall-to-wall should indicate that drought adversely affects your foundation.
• Your ceilings and floors have lost contact with the walls.
• Torn wallpapers
• Your chimneys and porches have started leaning away from  the house.
• Diagonal cracks stretching from the windows to the ceiling
• Moldings have separated from the top and walls

 

Does your foundation indicate any of these warning signals? Please contact us for immediate help. We specialize in slab, pier, and beam foundation repairs in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. At Steady House Foundation Repairs, we pledge to help you out with just a superficial foundation level up to the most complex. Our teams are always willing to answer any of your questions along the way.

A soaker hose is the most efficient of the foundation irrigation techniques.

Most local governments are in favor of it since it offers just the right amount of moisture without overwatering the whole region. The distance between the system and the foundation should be twelve and eighteen inches. Let us look at some of the most important advantages of using soaker hoses to protect your foundation now.

Using a soaker hose is a great way to save water. Compared to other techniques of moisturizing your foundation, this one uses a fraction of the water. Using this strategy, you will be able to ensure that your foundation receives enough water.

Another benefit of utilizing a soaker hose is its ease of use. Many homeowners do not have the time to properly water their foundations because of their hectic lifestyles. It takes a lot of time to keep track of the water flow in a garden hose.

To get the desired outcomes, all you have to do is switch on the soaker hose at the base of your house for a certain amount of time. Observing how the water flows or adjusting the hose is not required.

The use of a soaker hose prevents soil erosion around the foundation. A high-quality soaker hose creates little soil disturbance and does not wash away soil, so your property will have a solid base.

How Often Should You Use a Soaker Hose?

Watering your lawn and foundation every week should earn you one to two inches of rain. We recommend that the foundation get two to three inches of rain every week for the whole season during the summer months. This includes precipitation, so it is crucial to keep that in mind. An exterior window water meter may be used to measure this. Only you can determine whether your foundation and yard are getting enough water.

Contact Steady House Foundation Repair at 214-886-6857 if you have any questions about watering or maintaining your foundation. We can help you discover or avoid foundation concerns to safeguard your home and belongings.

Having a pier and beam foundation is a great thing because this type of foundation is built to withstand a lot of shifting, settling, and other types of ground movement. However, just as with other types of foundations, you may run into issues from time to time. Because of this, it is very important that you have a professional inspect your foundation and perform repairs when necessary. Here are two reasons to have pier and beam foundation repair.

Your Wood May Be Deteriorating 

One great reason to have pier and beam foundation repair is if you are having issues with the wood part of your foundation. Since this type of foundation is made mostly out of wood, it is very important that you have it inspected from time to time. If the wood has started to rot, due to being in moisture for too long, this can compromise the structure of your home. Wood is also quite porous, which can make it more prone to rotting.

You Can Fix Small Issues Before They Become Big Ones

Another reason to hire a professional to come and perform pier and beam foundation repair is to ensure that any small issues are fixed before they turn into larger issues. Regular inspections of your foundation can help to make this possible because a professional has a highly trained eye and unique skillet that allows them to give your foundation the best inspection possible. The repairs that they find are also generally very cost-effective to fix and are much easier to repair than if you left things unchecked and allowed them to get worse.

To learn more great reasons to have a pier and beam foundation repaired, or to hire a professional to inspect your foundation and perform the repair today, visit us at Steady House Foundation Repair.

As a result of a drought, your yard will seem a lot different. Your grass may turn brown, and the outdoor plants will seem dry. However, what is going on beneath the ground? Please find out how droughts may damage the foundation of your house and what to do about it.

How Does Drought Affect the Soil?

When there is no rain for a lengthy period, the clay contracts because the water it contains, evaporates. Shifts in the earth may leave voids or gaps between your foundation and the surrounding soil. Your house’s weight is being dragged down into the newly formed holes by gravity, which might ultimately lead to the collapse of your foundation.

How Do Drought-Related Soil Changes Affect the Foundation of Your Home?

Your home’s foundation will be stretched and strained when the levels of support in the underlying soil decrease due to drought or even mild dryness.

Additionally, the soil beneath the foundation, sidewalks, and streets may contribute to the problem. Soil types and compaction levels may be present in the house site’s initial excavation and grading. Drought-induced foundation damage may be seen.

Signs of foundation deterioration caused by drought

The following are signs of foundation deterioration:

• Windows and doors may be difficult to open and close, but this may not always indicate foundation deterioration. Contact a foundation repair expert if you see the same issue with several windows and doors.
• Inconsistent floor surfaces
• Disconnected ceilings and floors from the walls
• Look for cracks in the floor that extend from one wall to the next. It is most likely that a drop on the floor caused just one or two tiles to crack.
• Cracks in the wall
• Wallpaper that has been torn may indicate that the wall underneath it has been damaged.
• The walls are bowing down.
• From the corners of windows and doors, diagonally upward cracks.
• Brickwork cracks in the stairwell
• Staggered chimneys and porches that are falling apart.

A tour of your house may also be helpful, checking for any gaps between the earth and your foundation.

How Do You Prevent Drought Damage to Your Property?

If you take preventative measures, your house’s foundation might save you hundreds of dollars in repair expenses.

Your home and investment may be better protected if you choose a well-thought-out structural solution. With Steady House Foundation Repair most trusted foundation repair experts, you can get a free examination to find out what’s wrong with your home and what repairs are needed.

The following measures may help you safeguard your foundation:

• Structural wall repair and reconstruction
• The foundation’s settling correction.
• Retaining structures such as walls
• Repairing drainage problems
• Concrete grading.

A drought-stricken area near your house may need immediate action on your part. Eventually, the foundation will begin to crumble. Home values might drop by up to 30% if nothing is done.

For foundation concerns or foundation troubles in your building caused by the drought, contact Steady House Foundation Repair immediately. We can help you out.

A home’s foundation is one of the most important components of a building or a structure. The foundation is usually what everything else sits upon, and any issues in it could turn into massive and costly damage. There are different key reasons you might need a foundation inspection, such as noticing damage to your foundation, selling or buying a home, among other reasons. No matter the area you live in, professionals normally utilize specific processes and provide free cost estimates for repairing your foundation. Here is what you need to know about foundation inspection.

What does foundation inspection consist of?

The procedure usually involves performing specific tasks, such as looking for any foundation cracks, damaged floors or walls, and other signs of potential risks. Here are some of the critical things that a foundation inspection consists of:

Slab Foundation Inspection

If your home or building has a slab foundation, an inspector will keenly walk around the perimeter to carefully look for any cracks in your slab, brick veneer, fascia boards, and any other thing that could prompt their attention.

Pier and Beam Foundation Inspections

The inspection of pier and beam foundation is slightly different from that of a slab. An inspector enters the crawlspace under your structure to professionally examine it in order to determine whether it’s wet or musty. A professional inspector will check the condition of your piers, beams, and joists. In case they find something problematic, you will be guided on the right correctional measures to take.

Do I need a foundation inspection?

Yes, you do! Houses usually settle naturally, and in some regions, the ground frequently changes position due to seismic activity. Additionally, weather and water also wear down the construction materials over a specific period of time. In some cases, an extreme situation may prompt an immediate foundation check, but other situations may not be so critical as to prompt an emergency.

At Steady House Foundation Repair, we are a team of professional home repairers. We carry out thorough foundation inspections to expose any hazards in your building. We can help you out with just a simple foundation level up to the most complex. Our team are also more than happy to answer any of your questions along the way. Contact us today to learn more and book your foundation inspection today.

When it comes to the structural stability of your home, the foundation is the most important part. Crumbling walls and sloping flooring are all signs that your house’s pier and beam foundation needs repair.

A pier and beam foundation is generally often used in older homes not built on a concrete pad. A pier foundation is unlikely to need regular repairs, although this is not certain. When your property has any of the following four problems, it’s worth arranging a foundation evaluation to determine if a piercing is an option for your property.

1. Damage to the Framing of Windows or Doors

Is it difficult to keep your windows and doors locked? Although you can have a problem with gaps in the windows and doors, it might also indicate a problem with the foundation, such as sagging door or window frames. Too much weight on one side leaves the other unsupported.

In the absence of effective foundation support, the chasms will inevitably widen. Piers are usually required to distribute the weight evenly over all four corners of these displays.

2. Cracks in the Wall.

This is unsurprising, considering that most homeowners associate fissures with foundation problems. It is normal for concrete slabs or pier and beam foundations to have cracks caused by foundation settling. It’s worth having a free assessment if you notice any little cracks in your foundation. After all, if left alone, cracks may get rather wide very rapidly, necessitating prompt attention.

3. Uneven Floors

Sagging or uneven flooring is another telltale sign of a weak pier and beam foundation. You shouldn’t notice any abrupt slopes or hills if your flooring was previously flat. Walking across the room now seems like its on uneven ground? This is a clear indicator that you have major pier and beam foundation issues that must be addressed right away.

4. Doors That Stick When Opening or Closing

Your doors and windows may be the first to show signs of a foundation issue. Doors and windows that stick or are difficult to open, as well as gaps at the top and bottom, are all signs that your pier and beam foundation may be sinking and need to be addressed. Foundation piers may be used to fix foundation difficulties and re-align the house to its original position, allowing doors and windows to open and close properly.

Contact us to learn more about how to determine whether your pier and beam foundation needs repair or to schedule a foundation investigation.

A pier and beam foundation is usually characterized by its crawl space feature. This means that there is space left between the actual floor and the foundation that is large enough for a human to crawl in between. This kind of foundation system is convenient because it makes it easier to access the drainage and electrical systems; thus, one can go a long time without damage. Damages are caused mainly by moisture and drainage problems, insects such as termites, and flaws made during construction. These damages, however, are repairable.

If there is a specific area that is damaged, it is easier to repair that area without interfering with the whole foundation. In case the damage is extensive, there are different ways in which the foundation can be repaired. First, one can take the reshimming approach. Shims are small pieces of wood placed between the piers and the wooden sill beams. This process is a slow but frequent readjusting of the floor and is mostly applicable in houses that have been kept in good working conditions. Adding pier stacks also helps in balancing the crooked floors and evenly distributing the weight of the floor or simply replacing damaged piers.

Termites can chip on the wood, or the moisture may cause the wood to rot eventually. One can, therefore, simply replace the wood. However, this is not as simple as it sounds since, in pier and beam foundation, each piece of wood is connected to another piece. Therefore, once the damaged area is removed, the remaining part needs to be supported in order to replace it. Lastly, although the interior beam is prone to more damage, the perimeter support beam may also need to be repaired, and this can be done by adding underpinning to the beam. This way, it can be brought back to its original elevation.

Steady House Foundation Repair specializes in slab and pier and beam foundation repair in the Dallas / Fort Worth, TX area. We can help you out with just a simple foundation level up to the most complex. Our team are also more than happy to answer any of your questions along the way. Give us a call today!

 

Telltale signs of drainage problems that could spell trouble for your home’s foundation often appear following  storms. But what if the rainstorm is light — yet it takes longer than usual for puddles to disappear? If you need to put down walking bridges in certain spots throughout your yard or if you identify wet spots in the home, it’s more obvious your home’s drainage system is not properly draining rainwater away from the home’s foundation. Water build-up over time causes a foundation to become unstable – which takes a toll on your investment. It’s important to reach out to a foundation repair expert early on even if you recently bought a new construction house.

Clogged gutters

Maintain your gutters by removing dead leaves and your child’s lost baseball can help. Some homeowners observe gutters overflowing during a storm – which is a sign of a problem. Less obvious signs of clogged gutters include mud splattering on the home, peeling paint and streaks. Maybe the downspouts are not pointed in the right direction or maybe it’s time for a thorough spring cleaning with accompanied foundation inspections.

Out-of-control pests

Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water. If you notice mosquitoes becoming a nuisance, look for puddles that serve as a breeding ground for insects. Mosquitoes make it difficult to enjoy an outdoor kitchen or backyard patio. But even more troubling is the fact that standing water or puddles could spell foundation problems not only for the main house but for the patio and accessory outdoor living features such as gazebos and pergolas.

Cracks in the garage and driveway

While everyone checks their home for cracks, they sometimes ignore the garage and driveway. Of course, some minor cracks in the foundation are part of the settling process of a house. Before having a driveway repaved to address drainage issues, talk to a foundation repair specialist. Drainage repair experts evaluate the entire picture to make sure rainwater moves away from the home and out of the driveway so water doesn’t get beneath the foundation of the garage and crack.

At Steady House Foundation Repair, we provide foundation repair services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. From simple jobs to complex problems that require specialty foundation repair work, we are here to assist homeowners and landlords by properly diagnosing and resolving foundation flaws. For more information about what to do if you notice drainage issues that need correction, please contact us today.