Ina Nektar Fly Fishing

Precision Tropic

If it's not the number one problem then it's a very close second.

It's the soil.

If your slab-on-ground concrete foundation sits on heavy clay soils that dry out, then swell up when heavy rains come, the foundation  is in danger of movement.

It's exactly this kind of expanding then shrinking that causes most of the common signs of foundation stress and damage.

A lot of foundation repair companies will tell you that the sticking doors,  windows that are hard to open and close, diagonal cracks in the drywall and brick, and sloping floors are signs that you might need foundation leveling.

And the main culprit is the clay soil that swells and shrinks.

One region of the U.S. had a classic case of the soils reacting to the weather this past summer. North Texas.  Weeks of little or no rain, depending on whether you were lucky enough to be under a stray pop-up thunderstorm or not.  (Shrink)

Then along came Tropical Storm Hermine. The storms dropped 4-6 inches of rain across the area.  Some  streets  turned into  rivers.  City provided trash containers and recycling bins floated down streets and piled up against parked cars. (Swell) It was in all the papers.

So what is a home owner supposed to do to protect the foundation against the need for repair?

First, take control of what happens with the rain. Install gutters, keep them clean, and direct the water away from the foundation.  Make sure the rain drains off.  Don't let the clay soil around the foundation swell up.

Then use soaker hoses to keep an even layer of moister around the perimeter of the slab during dry periods.  Don't let the clay soil dry up and pull away from the slab. Run the soaker hoses just enough to keep an even layer of moisture. With some trial and error, you'll learn how often and how long to run them....it's not hard.

A lot of foundation repair contractors can also help you with drainage issues and give you guidance on soaker hoses. Spending some money today for preventive measures like that can often save you big bucks for a foundation repair job.

Bill Pryce is a Journalism and Mass Communications graduate of New Mexico State University and writes on various topics. Bill's websites include http://www.repairfoundation.net

Tropic Marin Aquarium Hydrometer $32.99 Tropic Marin Aquarium Hydrometer The Tropic Marin Aquarium Hydrometers are ideal for marine aquariums. These high precision hydrometers are handmade in Germany by experienced craftsmen, and have a maximum deviation of 0.0005. These hydrometers do not need calibration and come with a scale from 1.018 to 1.028, with a marked recommendation range 1.021 to 1.024. Features: . Handmade in Germany by experienced craftsmen . They have a maximum deviation of 0.0005 . These hydrometers never need calibration . Scale from 1.018 to 1.028, with a marked recommendation range 1.021 to 1.024

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