Spring has arrived and you know what that means, it’s time for spring cleaning! We take spring cleaning very seriously here at Williamson Foundation repair especially when it comes to getting your property in tip-top shape, and you should too! Here are four great tips to keep in mind when you are sprucing up your landscape and getting your home ship-shaped for the season.

1. The placement of trees matters!

If you are planning on adding trees to your yard keep in mind that you DO NOT want them to be right up against your foundation! As trees grow, so do their roots and as they grow they can start to cause all kinds of issues for you down the road. The rule of thumb when planting trees- however tall they are going to get, you want them planted at least half that distance, if not more, away from your foundation. For example, if your tree is going to grow to be 20 ft tall, you want it to be at least 10 ft away. The more they grow, the farther their roots spread, and roots suck moisture out of the ground causing it to collapse and it can remove the soil support from that area of your house, possibly creating foundation settlement that you don’t want to have.

2. Grooming your shrubs is a must!

You probably already have shrubs planted around your foundation, and year by year they get larger and larger. Keep your shrubs trimmed! When you keep them trimmed you control their size, which allows you to better control how much moisture they suck from the ground. They will drink the moisture from the soil and that will remove the soil support from the perimeter of your house. If you allow them to grow out of control, they are going to drink a ton of moisture every year leading to foundation settlement. Keeping your shrubs trimmed equals reduced water usage which leads to a more stable foundation.

3. Mulch is more than just pretty sticks.

Mulch is not just for decorative purposes. It does a fantastic job of helping keep moisture trapped in your soil. As we begin to enter the hot summer months it is imperative that you keep moisture locked in your soil in order to keep the soil swelled and supporting your home. So use mulch, and don’t cheap out as it will end up costing you more in the long run. Use a good mulch and use a lot of it as it really will help both your flowers and shrubs but more importantly it will help your foundation by keeping that moisture locked in.

4. Sprinkler maintenance is key.

Please check your sprinkler system! As tree roots grow and soil shifts you can often develop leaks in your sprinklers and sprinkler heads can get broken. It’s important to check to make sure you don’t have leaks as too much water in one place and not enough in another close to your foundation will create problems. While checking your sprinkler remember to also check and make sure the spray heads near your house are spraying away from the house. You do not want water spraying against your house, mainly because it will create cracks in your bricks but also because it can cause foundation movement that you do not want. So check your sprinkler system often throughout the year and make sure it is running the way it is supposed to. 

So while it’s beautiful outside and you are working in your yard, remember to keeps these four tips in mind. Be smart and take care of your house, take care of your foundation, and do it before it gets hot and dry outside. Williamson Foundation Repair has been the most trusted name in foundation repair since 1985. If you have other questions or would like more tips then feel free to ask in the comments or contact us, and we will be happy to help you out.