Watering your Foundation

[Raizinman]

With the hot drought we are having across the country, some are advocating to water your foundation, some say add dirt to your foundation (between ground and foundation), and others say just leave it all alone. Anyone know the real truth and why? Seems like adding water would cause bugs to follow the water. Cause a pocket of water somewhere between the ground and foundation that might cause more problems later. Might cause growth of plants, grass or other things in this area. Currently, I have about 1 inch to 1.5 inch gap between the ground and foundation.

 

[mmntech]

Probably to prevent it from shifting as the soil shrinks when it dries out. I'm assuming your house doesn't have a basement.

 

[Raizinman]

I'm assuming your house doesn't have a basement.

My house is a ranch house with a basement. The basement walls are about 5 to 6 inches thick reinforced concrete.

 

[stargazr]

In Texas this seems to be a common thing. I assume because of the soil type there are no basements (generally speaking). So they build houses on a concrete slab. However even though the ground doesn't freeze in winter, it does move around a bit. As a result there is a whole industry of foundation repair companies.

Anyway, our house has an addition that was never properly attached to the house and I have to run a soaker hose around it in dry weather or it will sink a few inches.

I don't know why they don't dig a three-four ft. trench, pour a concrete footer and build a block wall foundation like in the rest of the country but one thing I learned down here is Texans don't give a fuck how you did it where you come from. I've talked to several people in construction and the only ones who know what I'm talking about are from up north.

 

[pcgeek11]

I don't know why they don't dig a three-four ft. trench, pour a concrete footer and build a block wall foundation.

That is how they are supposed to do it regardless. They do it this way here in the southeast. That must be why they have to water the slab. They do not have a foundation unless they dig a three-four ft. trench, pour a concrete footer and build a block wall foundation.

 

[Charlie98]

I don't know why they don't dig a three-four ft. trench, pour a concrete footer and build a block wall foundation like in the rest of the country but one thing I learned down here is Texans don't give a fuck how you did it where you come from. I've talked to several people in construction and the only ones who know what I'm talking about are from up north.

I used to pour concrete when I was a young lad up in Indiana... and that's how we did it. Pour a footer, build or pour a wall... and go up from there. When I moved down here to Texas and had a house built, I was quite taken aback at how they pour the foundations. In fact, I backed out of the first house we were having built because of the slab... it was atrocious. (Actually, from what I have seen the past 10 years, concrete work down here just sucks... no craftsmanship. That's what you get with cheap labor... )

North Texas soil is primarily clay... it swells when wet, and shrinks when it's dry. (I say it's primarily clay... because when they come in to build a housing tract, they strip off the top soil down to the clay... leaving the shit to build a house on.) Soaker hoses are a way of life down here in the summer months. You don't pump enough water so that you wind up with a puddle of water under your slab, you put the hoses out about 2' away from the foundation and let the ground absorb the water and swell back up to the slab.

OP, check for a home and garden show/website from around your area. Much of the technique you would use is based on what your soil is like and the best way to respond to it. Dirt is different than clay, etc. Soaker hoses may be the answer, but I would check with someone locally 'in the know' before.

 

[Doppel]

With the hot drought we are having across the country, some are advocating to water your foundation, some say add dirt to your foundation (between ground and foundation), and others say just leave it all alone. Anyone know the real truth and why? Seems like adding water would cause bugs to follow the water. Cause a pocket of water somewhere between the ground and foundation that might cause more problems later. Might cause growth of plants, grass or other things in this area. Currently, I have about 1 inch to 1.5 inch gap between the ground and foundation.

Bolded for HORRENDOUS idea. Reason is plain: When the moisture comes back now you've just earned yourself more pressure than before from expanding oil. I am positive I have read on a site about foundation damage that some people with very expansive soil doing this and it's a bad idea.

Watering foundation may be something necessary in very specific parts of the country, maybe those with soil highly prone to movement but I am sure this is not something one need regularly worry about.

As I understand it most foundation damage is not actually caused by frost heave, but rather expansive soil, particularly clay types which pull in water and expand with a lot of power and drain poorly. If you have that much movement I cannot see why watering would be a bad idea, though; it's going to get wet when it rains anyway, so it may be a good idea (especially as I read a few posts above). Still sure you don't want to fill it with dirt, though 🙂

 

[lxskllr]

They don't use footers in Texas?! Hard as it is to believe, my opinion of the state dropped even lower :^/