What does soil erosion around a foundation mean? Soil erosion can be a serious problem if left unchecked, and there are signs to look for indicating that there is a problem. Some of these signs include:
- Water flowing through paths in your soil
- Puddles forming around the foundation
- More of your foundation showing
Any of these may indicate that you have soil erosion that requires attention. Read on to learn more about soil erosion and its meaning for your home’s foundation.
What Role Does a Graded Soil Slope Play in Your Foundation?
Graded soil slopes are supposed to surround home foundations, although many homeowners are unaware that this is necessary. The soil slope is vitally important, even though you might not notice it most of the time.
Slopes help pull water down and away from your foundation. Besides rainwater, this also includes run-off from your air conditioner and your gutters. In an ideal situation, your yard will be free from standing water that might cause damage.
Soil erosion, occurring when you lack a graded soil slope, opens the door to many problems in your home’s foundation. Making sure your home has a properly graded soil slope is one of the best ways to avoid these problems. A foundation specialist can help you determine if your graded soil slope needs work.
What Does Soil Erosion Around a Foundation Mean? How Does It Happen?
In most cases, soil erosion occurs when the soil is not firm. Sometimes, the problem is the soil composition, with clay often being an issue. In most cases, the soil is not firm because nothing is holding it in place.
As much as landscaping may seem like something that serves a mostly cosmetic purpose, it is necessary for preventing soil erosion. Everything from the types of trees and shrubs you plant to items like rocks play a role in keeping the soil firm. Another thing that landscaping does is limit the amount of water retention.
What Should You Do If You Notice Eroded Soil?
What does soil erosion around a foundation mean? One of the things that this means is that regrading and planting new landscaping items with deeper roots are in order. However, landscaping is only one part of the solution.
If your soil has eroded, there’s a chance your foundation began to shift or settle. This type of movement causes some of the foundation damage that homeowners have to contend with the most often. You might not have noticed the signs of erosion if they have been relatively subtle.
Cracks are often signs that your foundation is moving because of soil erosion. Some of the cracks that spell potential trouble include:
- Stair Step Cracks – Soil pressure or settlement may cause cracks along the mortar joints present in between the blocks. A stair-step pattern may show up between the joints and the wall.
- Horizontal Cracks – These cracks are among the most serious and are usually caused because of soil pressure. The soil is usually heavily saturated when these cracks occur.
- Vertical Cracks – Soil settlement causes major pressure that allows water to penetrate the foundation. These cracks are usually fairly large.
Getting Help For Your Foundation Issues
Olson Foundation Repair has the expertise that you need to make sure any issues with your foundation resulting from soil erosion are repaired. You don’t want to leave anything as important as your home’s foundation to chance, so if you have concerns about what does soil erosion around a foundation mean? Contact us today so we can get started working on a solution.