Concrete Foundation Maintenance Tips from the Pros

Installing any concrete surface takes time and patience, and it’s an investment, so it’s important to do what you can to take care of it over the long term. Here are six concrete foundation maintenance tips from the pros to help you avoid costly foundation repairs in Marinette County, WI:

• Check for cracks and damage: Homeowners can do a lot of their own foundation inspections for damage, cracks and insects—holes and hairline cracks should be filled immediately. These checks are important because if cracks are not tended to, your home’s foundation can deteriorate quickly. Cracks in the foundation can be caused by leaks in your home, temperature fluctuations or exposure to moisture. No matter what, you are better off contacting a foundation repair specialist for cracks that appear to increase in size.
• Install a sump pump: Some properties have serious water drainage issues impacting their foundations. If this describes your home, consider installing an appropriate size sump pump. The sump pump is placed inside a water collecting tank built into the ground, and can offer a better guarantee for the proper drainage of a surface or French drain.
• Ensure good roof drainage: Rainwater rolls down your home’s roof into the rain gutters and out through the downspouts, so it should come as no surprise that poorly installed gutters and downspouts contribute to foundation damage. Water drainage too close to the foundation can cause lateral pressure, causing your home’s foundation to crack and let water in. Ideally, water should drain about five feet from the walls to prevent flooding near the foundation.
• Protect the foundation from trees: Giant trees are lovely, but they can pose a significant threat to your foundation. Trees need moisture to live—some can consume as much as 150 gallons of water per day! Because they need so much water and are not mobile like animals, they will take it from wherever they can get it. That means pulling moisture from the soil surrounding your property, which may eventually cause damage to your home’s foundation. Another valid concern to watch for is tree roots making their way underneath your foundation.
• Avoid deicing chemicals: If you get snow or ice where you live, you might be tempted to scatter deicing chemicals everywhere. However, it’s best to avoid deicing chemicals like calcium chloride, especially since this chemical can cause surface damage to exterior concrete, like spalling or scaling. Younger concrete surfaces (those poured within the last year) are in the greatest danger of the harmful effects of salts. Adequate alternative options to chemical deicers include sand and kitty litter. Both offer plenty of ground traction.
• Seal the garage floor: Vehicle tires and shoes are bound to track salt and other deicing chemicals into your garage, and these things can damage the concrete foundation. To help protect the garage floor from this type of damage, apply a sealant to the floor every few years and regularly clean it to keep these substances from sitting for too long.

Leave concrete foundation repairs in Marinette County, WI to the professionals. Call the experienced team at Kwiatkowski Construction Co., Inc. today to book an appointment.

Categorised in: Foundation Repairs

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