Extreme North Texas Weather Taking Toll On Homes
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PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - From near constant rain to now nearly bone dry, North Texas' weather extremes are taking a toll on home foundations.
"I could tell it was separating," says Amy Amundson, gesturing to cracks in her walls and crown molding. "A handyman came in and patched it a couple of times and it kept splitting." Finally, the Plano homeowner tired of repairing the symptoms and went right for the source: her shifting foundation.
"When you spent a fortune to have it repainted, and you have a nice home, you want it to stay looking nice," says Amundson, "those cracks aren't very attractive."
Experts say most homes in North Texas, like Amundson's, sit on expansive clay soil. The soil expands when it is wet, and contracts when it is dry -- taking the homes along for the ride: so consistency in the moisture levels is key.
"People forgot that when it stops raining, you still need to water, you need to run the sprinkler, run the soaker hose, maintain your shrubbery, keep your grass green," says Justin Bryant with Perma-Pier Foundation Repair, "when you're not doing that…when we go from extreme rain to extreme dry like we're in right now, the foundation is going to be impacted."
"It's like changing oil in a car. If you don't do it, the engine's gonna blow," adds Robert Scott, Dalrock Foundation Repair. "Same thing with a foundation, if you don't water it, it's just a recipe for foundation problems." According to Scott, set-it-and-forget-it systems are best, such as drip irrigation systems tied to sprinklers. "Soaker hoses are a good substitute… but, you have to remember to turn them on and turn them off. A sprinkler system you can set them up on a clock and walk away."
"If they tell you to water, you should water," says Amundson, adding "it's costly… this is not a $500 fix. It's quite a bit of money."
Depending on the extent of the repairs, foundation work can run on average between $3,000-$6,000 or up to $30,000 or more. So the best bet for homeowners is to maintain.
"I'm hoping this fixes the problem and I don't have to be so concerned about drought, dry weather, excessive rain like we had in May," says Amundson, "I'm really hoping that this takes care of it."
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