DFW Foundation Tips

Here at Align Foundation Repair, we know that your choice of foundation repair contractor matters – for the value of your home and for your peace of mind. If you’re a homeowner, realtor, developer, or investor, here are seven questions you should ask any foundation repair company before entrusting it with your hard-earned money.

Our family-run business provides affordable foundation repair company services backed by an industry-leading warranty. Get in touch with Align Foundation Repair today to schedule a free inspection and estimate, or to have any of your questions answered.

Question One: Is Your Business Insured?

A legitimate DFW foundation repair company will always carry plenty of coverage. Avoid any contractor that answers “no” to this question. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the hook if your home suffers negligent damage.

Question Two: How Long Have You Been in Business?

When your family home is at stake, it always pays to work with an established company. Align Foundation Repair was founded way back in 2010, and we’ve been in continuous operation ever since. We’re widely known and respected throughout Texas.

Question Three: Are You Members of the Better Business Bureau?

BBB membership is an important gauge of a company’s credibility. Align Foundation Repair has been an accredited member of the BBB since 2011. We hold an A+ rating with the agency. You can view our Better Business Bureau profile on their website.

Question Four: What Kind of Soil Does My Property Have?

The type of soil around your home will affect how your contractor will go about repairing your foundation. You should avoid any company that fails to consider this important factor.

Question Five: How Long Will the Project Take to Complete?

In most cases, Align Foundation Repair can finish the job in about three days or less. Once the work is done, the results will last for decades to come.

Question Six: What Will My Home Look like Once the Project Is Complete?

In some cases, foundation repair does require uprooting and relocating plants and shrubs along the perimeter of your home. A reputable contractor will advise you on the impact to your landscape prior to starting.

Question Seven: Will You Test My Plumbing After the Job Is Done?

After the work is finished, your contractor should give you the option of getting a test through a third-party plumber. However, you may also choose to use your own plumber for the testing.

Once you consider these seven questions, we think you’ll agree that Align Foundation Repair is the right contractor to entrust with this important project. We have a wide range of DFW foundation repair company service areas and offer lifetime warranties on our work and exceptional customer service. Get in touch with us today for your free estimate.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, differs from other parts of the country with its combination of clay soils and seasonal variations. Changes to the soil’s moisture content cause expansion and contraction, which can lead to road damage and foundation issues.

North Texas has some of the highest soil plasticity in the world. Within any given season, it’s not unusual to experience long stretches of drought followed by torrential rains and flooding.

Align Foundation Repair offers free inspections and estimates for property owners and real estate agents concerned about foundation issues. We are skilled at a full range of DFW foundation repair services, including drainage solutions, concrete lifting, and more.

Common Signs of DFW Foundation Problems

Signs of structural damage to a house can build over time or occur overnight. Warning signs to look for include:

• Bowing walls
• Cabinets that swing open by themselves
• Divides widening between the floor and door
• Drywall cracks
• Exterior brick cracks and crumbles
• Nails protruding from the walls
• Plumbing leaks
• Sidewalk and patio concrete cracks
• Sticky doors and windows

Root Causes of Foundation Issues in Dallas Fort Worth 

The three primary underlying causes of foundation issues in Dallas/Fort Worth include:

Poor soil preparation

Disturbed, graded soil becomes loose and porous. Without compacting the soil before pouring the concrete, the foundation will slip and slide — or even sink — as the ground fluctuates between wet and dry.

Many newer areas that have been heavily filled could take seven years for the ground to fully settle, so it is not uncommon for a new neighborhood to have foundation trouble.

Pouring concrete over soggy wet trenches is yet another way a foundation can be poorly prepared.

Soil type and climate

To some degree, foundation problems are unavoidable in most of Texas. The entire DFW area is built upon deep clay. When subjected to swings of temperature and rainwater volume, clay soil expands and contracts. Our region is characterized by a wide annual temperature range, and precipitation can vary from less than 20 inches to more than 50 inches.

Poor drainage

Many parts of DFW also happen to sit in a flood plain region. Excessive moisture causes a negative effect on all DFW home foundation types, whether you have pier and beam or slab style construction.

Sometimes a “flood” can be caused by a plumbing leak if the ground has shifted enough to cause a broken pipe somewhere along the line. Large tree roots, bushes too close to the house, and garden runoff can cause moisture to accumulate too close to the foundation.

What to Look For When Buying a DFW Home

When you’re buying a home in the DFW region, look for:

• The aforementioned signs of DFW foundation problems, particularly cracks and sticky doors/windows.
• Crispy, fried landscaping and shrubs that have not been properly maintained.
• Trees too close to the house and untamed shrubs like Red Tips grown up to the eaves of the house.
• Homes in more established neighborhoods that have been around at least 7-10 years.
• A property that comes with a lifetime transferable warranty on foundation repair.

You can also call a foundation contractor at Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate to get a professional opinion on the stability of your property. We can provide you with a better understanding of the soil underneath the property, how likely it is to sustain damage, and what the cost of repairs might be.

Preventative Maintenance Steps for Homes in Dallas-Fort Worth

Ideally, a structural engineer will be involved in a building construction project from the ground up. The architect should oversee and verify that all instructions were followed before the concrete was poured.

After purchasing a home, property owners can mitigate future foundation settling by installing:

• A proper drainage system like a French or surface drain.
• Gutter downspouts (and keeping them cleaned!)
• Soaker hoses and sprinklers around the foundation to keep moisture levels stable in dry spells.

Maintaining vegetation – like trimming trees and keeping shrubbery away from the house – is also important.

If you are worried about a foundation in Dallas / Fort Worth, call the family-owned and operated Align Foundation Repair. Since 2010, our A+ rated, BBB-accredited, fully insured business has provided expertise to local residents.

Call for a free inspection if you live in one of our DFW foundation repair service areas. All work comes with a fully transferrable warranty that gives you peace of mind and increased property value.

Will your home insurance cover the cost of a foundation repair? We can’t give a simple “yes” or “no” answer because it depends on the specific policy and what it covers. More often, though, the answer is a “no.” Even if it does, it may only cover specific types of damage. Let’s explore this topic in further detail.

What Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover?

When it comes to homeowner’s insurance covering foundation repair, it comes down to the specific policy. As a general rule, most home insurance policies in the North Texas region do not include foundation repair insurance.

Nevertheless, we do suggest that homeowners extensively review their insurance to be certain what is and isn’t covered. A damaged foundation often accompanies other problems in the house, such as cracks and separations in the walls and ceiling. You will want to know whether your insurance covers this type of damage.

My Insurance Does Cover Foundation Repairs

Perhaps your policy does include foundation repair. Don’t assume that this means any foundation damage scenario will be covered. As with the rest of the home, the plan may only kick in if the damage meets certain criteria. Examine your policy or ask an agent the following:

• Does the policy cover cracks in the slab concrete?
• What foundation repair methods are covered under the policy? Common repair methods include concrete leveling, concrete piling, drilled pier, and spread footing. Know which of these are and aren’t covered.
• What type of damage has to occur for the policy to go into effect?

It’s especially important that you have a clear answer to the third question. Policies that cover foundation repairs will only do so under specific conditions. Policies typically do not cover damage from acts of nature, such as an earthquake or flood, though you may be able to add those additional coverages with an increase in premiums.

We should also point out that homeowner’s insurance doesn’t typically cover damages caused by soil erosion and expansion. This is really important to keep in mind because the North Texas region is notoriously known for heavy sand and loam-based soil that is susceptible to expansion and compaction. When we dispatch a technician to evaluate a residential foundation, we often discover that the damage stems partially or fully from the soil conditions.

We Provide Affordable Foundation Repair

To summarize, most homeowner’s insurance does not cover foundation damage. If your policy does, the damage must meet very specific conditions for the insurance to kick in. This is why we highly suggest homeowners call Align Foundation Repair to schedule routine foundation evaluations. This will prevent a costly foundation repair down the line that your insurance more than likely does not cover. For homeowners insurance foundation repair services in Dallas-Fort Worth, call us today for a free estimate.

Should you regularly water your foundation the way you water plants? Homeowners may wonder if this is an effective strategy for keeping your foundation stable or just a myth. In reality, watering your foundation on a regular basis can have a positive effect, and may contribute to saving you thousands of dollars in foundation repairs down the road.

Why Soil Needs Watering

Though we mention watering the foundation, you are actually watering the soil. Why is this necessary? Think of the soil as a giant sponge; it swells as it absorbs water and shrinks as it dries. The degree of swelling and shrinkage differs depending on the soil type. The North Texas region has a strong concentration of clay, which are highly porous, making the swelling and shrinking very pronounced.

The soil tends to expand at its peak during winter and spring when high humidity and rain is commonplace. The soil dries and shrinks down during the hot summers and subsequent fall. The soil is essentially in a never-ending cycle of expanding and contracting.

What does this mean for your foundation? Since the foundation rests on the soil and beneath it, it will move and shift as the soil undergoes its cycles of moisture absorption and drying out. Over time, this causes the foundation to split and crack; the same can also occur in the walls, floors, and ceilings.

Furthermore, the expansion and contraction may not occur evenly among the soil, causing the foundation to move in multiple directions or excessively slope to one side.

How Watering Prevents Foundation Damage

Watering the soil prevents it from becoming excessively dry, thus avoiding the extreme end of soil contraction. This keeps the contrast between the soil swelling and contracting minimal, thus reducing the chance of foundational shifts. As long as you water the soil evenly, it will help prevent uneven swelling and contracting.

How to Water the Foundation

There are several ways you can water the foundation. One way is to plant leafy shrubs or other plants with non-invasive roots along the home perimeter and keep them watered year-long. Avoid large trees and shrubs, as their roots can consume excessive quantities of water from the soil.

Another approach is to invest in a soaker hose. Turn it on once a day or set it on an automatic timer. If you don’t have a soaker hose or do not wish to plant additional shrubs or greens, then go for the simple manual approach of lightly hosing the soil daily. This is especially beneficial during the dry seasons. Water from the perimeter of the house to about three to four feet out. Be sure to water every part of the perimeter that comes into contact with the soil.

A sprinkler is also a great option for watering the foundation around your home. Ideally, you want to place the sprinkler such that the water lands on the soil that is 10-15 inches away from the foundation, rather than on the foundation itself. If you have a timer, set it to water the area for 15-20 minutes.

Don’t Forget to Schedule Routine Inspections

Doing foundation watering is one form of damage prevention but should not be your only one. Regular inspections from our Dallas-Fort Worth foundation repair service are highly recommended. Give us a call today and schedule your home foundation inspection.