In order to avoid structural damage to your home, you need to do everything you can to keep your foundation strong. In some cases, this may mean having foundation repair done to give your foundation the strength it needs. However, you can also reduce the chances of suffering foundation damage by taking steps to prevent it. By following these relatively simple steps, you can eliminate the need for foundation repair in San Antonio.

Make Sure Your Downspouts are Installed Properly

If your downspouts allow a lot of water to pool around the base of your home or, worse, your downspouts are disconnected and don’t redirect water away from your house, you are eventually going to face foundation issues. When water is able to come into contact with your home’s foundation, it will slowly cause problems with it and, over time, it will force you to seek foundation repair. You can eliminate this risk by simply making sure the downspouts on your home are working and moving rainwater away from your home.

Plant Trees and Shrubs Away from Your Home

Planting trees and shrubs too close to your home can end up being problematic once those trees and shrubs start growing roots. Tree roots can be a huge problem for your home’s foundation and can cause it to settle unevenly. This will affect your entire home and, before long, you will likely notice interior walls cracking. This is a surefire sign that you have a foundation issue.

Have a Foundation Specialist Inspect Your Home Regularly

Unlike other parts of your home, you won’t realize that you have a foundation issue right away. It’s very unlikely that your home’s foundation will give out on you in a matter of just days. Rather, it’s a slow gradual process. By having a contractor come to your home to check out your foundation every so often and to inspect the interior and exterior of your home for potential signs of danger, you will be able to catch any problems with your foundation early. This will give you time to plan for necessary foundation repairs.

If you are building a new home in the San Antonio area, you are probably trying to decide whether to use a pier and beam foundation or a concrete slab foundation. Both types of foundations are common in this area, and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Before you call a contractor in San Antonio and settle on one foundation type over the other, you should carefully consider the pros and cons of each. Here are some of the things you should think about.

Pier and Beam Foundation

As the name of the pier and beam foundation would suggest, it relies upon a pier and beam structure to hold your home up. Piers extend deep down into the earth and rest on top of stones, and they support beams that hold up your home. The big advantage to using this type of foundation is that it will not shift around as a result of the soil underneath of your home. Because the piers are resting on stone, your foundation will be very strong and small adjustments can be made to fix your foundation if you ever need to have general contractors do foundation repair to your pier and beam foundation. With all of that being said, this type of foundation is more expensive than a concrete slab.

Concrete Slab Foundation

While a pier and beam foundation will rest on the stone located deep below your home, a concrete slab will rest directly on the ground. For that reason, concrete slabs are ideal for homes that are being built on flat lots. Concrete slabs can be constructed very easily and are cheaper than pier and beam foundations. However, you should know that repairing and maintaining a concrete slab can be more expensive in the long run than taking care of a pier and beam foundation.

Regardless of which type of foundation you choose, you should make sure that it’s the right one for your specific situation. Pick the one that works best for you and your family and speak with a foundation repair specialist if you have any additional questions.

Many homeowners don’t spend a whole lot of time learning about their concrete slab foundation unless they experience a problem with it. You should familiarize yourself with your foundation so that, if you ever need San Antonio foundation repair, you will know what to expect from it. A contractor in San Antonio can inspect your foundation to let you know if there are any issues with it. Here are some of the things you should know about your concrete slab foundation.

Construction

When a concrete slab foundation is built, general contractors will begin by removing topsoil and then grading the lot in order to prevent water from doing damage to the foundation in the future. A proper drainage system is essential because moisture can cause a foundation to crack and wreak havoc on a home. Additionally, concrete slab foundations should feature a capillary break underneath of them that serves as a barrier between the foundation and the moisture that exists in the soil beneath it.

Advantages

There are many advantages to having a concrete slab foundation. These types of foundations are effective when it comes to keeping pests and insects out of your home. They are also great at providing insulation for your home, which will help you save money on your energy bills. They can usually be constructed more quickly than other types of foundations and will last you for years before you need foundation repair done.

Repairs

From time to time, you may need foundation repair done if your foundation experiences cracking as a result of moisture or some other circumstances. You will also need to have foundation repair done if you ever experience a plumbing or electrical problem in the pipes installed in your foundation, and you will need to make sure that tree roots don’t grow under your home and cause issues. Find a trusted foundation repair company in San Antonio to take care of any potential problems, and your concrete slab foundation should keep your home standing strong well into the future.