Is It Okay to Start Building Your Home After Heavy Rains?

Determining Your Ground

• Have your foundation expert examine the ground you plan to build on and determine whether it needs dirt replacement because it's too sandy. At the other end, you may need to aerate your dirt to give it better formation properties to allow the foundation to be built consistently level. Checking your ground during heavy rains and during drought conditions, will go a long ways towards preventing future foundation problems. Always let your ground dry out sufficiently before beginning to build the foundation, but don't build during a drought either.

Surrounding Landscape

• Your surrounding landscape should also allow water to drain away from the house properly, rather than water that runs downhill and collects around your foundation. Over-saturated ground will cause shifting of the foundation after a continued period of extreme dampness. Build a retainer wall that diverts water off to the sides of the house, and down past the foundation, if your area has significant rainfall on a regular basis.

Drought Situations

• Many homes in the southern United States have experienced heavy drought in the last year and with added sandy soil, foundation problems are occurring everywhere. A simple solution is to set up a soak hose system around your home's foundation. The best arrangement is to dig a small trench 3 inches deep, set at 6 inches or more away from the foundation edge. Lay in your soak hose system and put the whole thing on a timer. Don't cover the soak hoses with dirt. Use leaves or mulch so when you check hoses, you can hear where there might be a hissing noise because of a hose leak. Run the hose system water once a day in the morning or evening.

Landscaping With Plants

• Landscape the area around your house with plants and flowers to strengthen the dirt and keep it solid. A good lawn, grown year after year, also keeps the dirt in one place and less likely to run off in drains during a heavy downpour. The good news is your soak hose system will water your plant beds as well as keeping your foundation in good shape during dryer weather.