Drainage solutions are a practical method of foundation repair in certain instances.  In many cases, an inexperienced foundation repair inspector will miss this relatively easy solution, and instead recommend dozens of steel piers or concrete piers.

Poor drainage can lead to foundation repair and house leveling, which is why drainage solutions and proper drainage are so important. Let’s explain how this effects the foundation.

Most soil in the Dallas area is clay. Clay soil is inherently bad for most foundations because of our hot summers and uneven watering. When clay soil dries, it shrinks. When clay soil gets wet, it expands. The movement from dry to wet can be as much as 6-10 inches.  Areas with sandy loam typically do not experience drainage problems.

Clay soil moisture content around a foundation is affected by uneven watering, neighbors watering, hillside run-off, and the sun.  Typically, the southwest corner receives the hottest, afternoon sun, baking water out of the clay soil. If drainage is inadequate, water may accumulate, causing the soil to swell.

When moisture collects under a concrete slab, or pier and beam house, the clay soil swells. This swelling of the clay soil leads to upheaval of the foundation.  Due to improper drainage, the clay soil under the foundation does not maintain a constant moisture level, which leads to uneven stress on the concrete slab, causing the concrete slab to bend and crack. As the slab bends, even before breaking, the damage will occur to masonry, Sheetrock, and tile floors.

Cracks in these materials are signs of foundation problems that should be acted upon to minimize foundation repairs.

Our comprehensive on-site evaluation may include recommendations for drainage correction that you can implement at little or no cost. Granite can provide drainage correction as a part of a total foundation repair.

Drainage solutions for foundation repair typically take 6 to 12 months to have a noticeable impact upon a heaved foundation. The alternative to giving time for a drainage solution to work is to lift the whole house to the heaved level, which is costly and not a very practical solution.

You can not imagine how often we encounter houses where a simple drainage solution will provide the perfect repair, while other foundation repair companies have recommended dozens of piers.  It is not unusual for a homeowner to get 3-5 quotes recommending piers, before Granite Foundation Repair recommends the proper solution…a drainage solution that provides a permanent foundation repair.