Jul 19 2005
Homeowners beware: this year's prolonged drought not only can make your lawn turn brown, it can also cause costly structural damage to your house.
The dryness can cause buildings to abnormally shift resulting in foundation damage. Utilizing lawn sprinklers/hoses to hydrate the soil around your house can help to reduce the chance of your house developing structural problems from these severe drought conditions the region is experiencing. However, improperly watering near your foundation can also cause severe problems.
"This summer's lack of rainfall is presenting homeowners with distinctly different problems in how they should be managing their lawn care, and the direct affect it can have on their homes' foundation," said Barry Schilling, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for U.S. Waterproofing, a full-service basement waterproofing company offering permanent solutions for almost all causes of basement seepage. "Running water around the exterior of your house must be done with care so you don't create a seepage problem in your basement or crawl space."
Homeowners should take note of these dos and don'ts to ensure their lawn care activities also benefit their homes:
- DO run water next to your foundation to help hydrate the soil around your building thus reducing the chance of this happening to your building.
- DON'T let the water spray on the side of the building as this could leak down into the basement.
- DO be cautious when running the hose around window wells as they are a likely place to collect large amounts of water which could in turn leak into the basement.
- DO check the hose connection at your outdoor faucet, as a leaky connection can spray water on the side of your house causing seepage in the basement which can result in mold.
Additionally, hot summer weather can increase the humidity in your basement as the heavier humid air accumulates along the basement floor, U.S. Waterproofing experts encourage homeowners to check regularly for mold, which can severely damage a home if gone undetected, leading to expensive repair costs. If the mold problem is neglected, it can greatly reduce the resale value of the property. U.S. Waterproofing is a full-service basement waterproofing company offering permanent solutions for almost all causes of basement seepage.
With more than 200,000 dry basements to its credit, the company services residential and business owners in Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin. U.S. Waterproofing is affiliated with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
For more information on their services, history and management, please visit http://www.seepage.com .