You’ve heard that you need a strong foundation to support the walls and floors that will come above it to create your home. And that’s true. Without the proper start on the bottom, the top will be largely unsupported and dangerously unstable. There are other concerns that come with a poor foundation, as well. It can lead, very easily, for example to a wet basement. In fact, many of the problems homeowners have with basement dampness stems from a foundation that allows for water to seep into the home from various ground-level points. Fortunately, some basic preventative and combative measures can be used to eradicate the problem.

The most likely problem you will have is cracks in the masonry. This happens when clay-like soil expands and contracts repeatedly as it gets wet. Each time it does so cracks will appear, and over time, the house will seem to settle. This problem is particularly prevalent in areas with excessive rainfall or simply during periods of heavy rain. To fix the problem, you will need to contact a professional. He will address the issue immediately and hopefully offer you ideas on how to prevent future cracking, including reevaluating your grading, the ground water and the soil.

Grading is something that should have been done when the house was built. The ground should slope slightly away from the building, and very well may have. However, with time loose soil has more than likely settled in areas around your yard creating low areas or traps for falling water. To make up for this, you can fill in the low areas and replant the eroded soil, in a process called re-grading.

For concrete areas you will want to pressure grout or slab jack to compensate for any depressions in the walkway or patio. Just be sure that in doing so you are not altering the drainage and leading it directly toward your house. This will defeat the purpose of re-grading and pressure grouting.

In addition to your lawn’s grading, the amount of ground water reaching your home may cause problems. If there seasonal high rains, you are on a flood plain or there are nearby underground springs, you may be getting much more groundwater than you thought. You can lay a flood pipe to take care of the problem, making sure to monitor the pipe not allowing it break or crack. If cracks do occur and water is being funneled into your basement, talk with a professional about getting them taken care of.

Finally, if you have addressed all of the water issues and sloping discrepancies that could arise but are still having problems, you may need to address the soil. Clay soil can be especially damaging and if you let it go out of control for too long, you won’t be able to keep the water from your home. Therefore, watch your soil to see what it does and how it affects the rest of the house. Once again, if problems become serious, talk with a professional about what you can and should do.

A strong foundation isn’t just the key to building a solid home from the ground up. It is also how you build a solid home from the ground down. Make you sure you don’t have any lasting problems that could cause lasting headaches.