Repair My Foundation-A Homeowner's Look at the Options

The structural engineer who inspected my concrete slab foundation recommended tree root barriers be installed to stop foundation settlement due to loss of moisture in the clay soil that my home sits on. The thinking is that trees can suck a lot of water from under a foundation and contribute to the shrinking of clay [...]

We just got back home from a short vacation to Ruidoso, NM. It rained some four inches while we were away, a very good thing in view of the ongoing drought in our part of the world. Pulling into the driveway we noticed little wire and plastic flags in a line from the street to [...]

Dr. Harry Williams, an associate geology professor at the University of North Texas says that too many new homes in the area are being built on soils that are poorly suited for housing development because of the high expansive clay content of the land. Texas could become “the possible leader in foundation repair.” Here’s the [...]

We had a bid from Tom the Contractor to install four root barriers to stop the underground tentacles of nearby trees from sucking moisture out from under our concrete slab foundation. We accepted his proposal and are tentatively scheduled to have the work done next week. His crew will also dig out a row of [...]

Oh, all right. I had my concrete slab foundation inspected last month by an engineer. The resulting report has drawings, measurements, recommendations and enough engineer talk to make me wish I had a pocket protector and white tape on my glasses. While we are not in danger of the roof falling in about our heads [...]

The inspection I had done on my concrete foundation calls for one root barrier to go between the slab and one live oak tree that is 12 feet from a corner of the home. One of the contractors I called for bids thinks I should have four of them. Two of them for other trees [...]