It’s been a long, hot, dry summer in the greater North Texas area this year. While this is not all that uncommon, an extended period of it takes its toll on homes and our water supply.
The vast majority of foundations built in the past forty years are post-tension slabs on grade. Combine post-tension slabs with expansive soils and you have a recipe for lots of foundation movement. Basically the foundations float on the expansive soil and are held together by the post-tension cables in the concrete.
It’s not unusual for there to be minor cracks in the interior sheetrock as there is always some movement in the slab.
When we have an extended period with little to no rain, the soil around the outside of the slab dries out and contracts while the soil in the center of the slab remains wet and expanded. The foundation is high in the center and low on the ends. If it gets bad enough, the foundation will settle and crack.
Foundation engineers recommend soaker hoses along the foundation to assist in keeping a constant moisture level in the soil around the slab. This summer, it added about $100 per month to my water bill trying to keep the slab watered.
It was so bad this summer that the entrances to Ridgeview Ranch were damaged and had to be replaced. It’s the Texas version of a frost heave.
We’ve had heavy to moderate rain for the past 24 hours. This is a welcome sight. It will green up the lawns, stabilize our homes, and refill our local lakes that are also our primary source of drinking water.
