Why You Should Paint Your House Foundation | ej-fransen.com

A foundation is the supporting layer of your home. One of the best ways to maintain the integrity of your structure is properly caring for your foundation. Water is your biggest threat and if proper precautions are not taken, you might end up spending a lot of money in repair in the very near future. Wet soil expands and contracts when dry. If this happens too close to your foundation, the wall might end up cracking causing problems.

Before we get into solving foundation problems, lets look into the causes. Foundation defects mainly occur when the soil around it is too dry or too wet.

What causes foundation defects?

• Excessively dry or wet soil around the wall
• Neglect
• Trees and other plants growing around the wall
• Leaks in the plumbing system
• Failure to divert runoff water from the wall

Foundation maintenance

There are a couple of ways you can protect your foundation from the elements. Some of the methods used in this process are really easy while others will require professional help. If you are the DIY kind of person, then this will not be too hard on you.

Foundation drainage

Foundation drainage systems are designed in such a way that they divert water from your wall. When the moisture around the foundation wall is constant, then you will have less to worry about. This is what the drainage system is designed for.

Root barriers

There are various kinds of root barriers. They can be solid objects that prevent roots from reaching the foundation, or they can be chemicals strategically placed in the soil around the wall to prevent growth. Roots can easily grow inside your wall and cause cracks as they expand.

Painting the foundation

When we talk of painting as a foundation maintenance technique, we are not talking about the usual paint brush and a can of paint. This is a far more complex procedure that can protect your foundation against water. First you will need to dig around the foundation wall and tamp the soil well. You will then be required to install water drainage around the area to direct water elsewhere. You will then apply water proofing paint all around the foundation. While you will be required to repeat the whole process some months later, painting your foundation will protect your wall against water dry and wet soil. Look out for cracks around the lowest part of your wall and also water leaks in your basement. This is usually a sign that your foundation has been compromised. In this case, getting assistance from an expert will save you a lot of time as opposed to digging up the whole area searching for problems.

Ken Stallworth is a writer and DIY renovator. He attended university for a degree in literature, but fell in love with home improvement. Now he writes about construction, foundation repair, and house maintenance.

Source: http://ej-fransen.com/why-you-should-paint-your-house-foundation/

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