Erosion can be a big problem because it happens gradually over time. It happens when soil and rocks are worn away or carried away by streams, wind, waves, or other natural forces. The process happens naturally, And soil erosion is mainly responsible for the unique and diverse landscape we have in the United States. However, human activities can also cause erosion.
Homes sit on land and are exposed to what nature throws at them. When there is not much vegetation around your home, soil erosion makes it vulnerable to damage from cracking and other problems. However, there are things you can do to keep erosion from damaging your home.
Tips For Protecting Your Home From Cracks and Erosion
You can take several steps to protect your home from cracks and other damage. If your home sits on a slope, some ideas include:
Render Your Home
Your home can be made more erosion-resistant by rendering it. Rendering is a process where walls are covered in cement. It covers and seals cracks in walls and other vulnerable areas, preventing moisture from penetrating or getting into your home’s foundation. This strengthens your home’s foundation and makes it more resistant against cracks developing, especially around doorways and windows. Another benefit of home rendering is that it helps protect the house from water damage by keeping these areas dry inside where mold can’t grow. However, it would help if you kept in mind that this thickness will cause the wall to become somewhat inflexible. Always render your home every few years because the damage caused by erosion happens gradually over time.
Plant Shrubs and Other Vegetable Life Around Your Home
You can even plant shrubs or other vegetation around your home to help protect it from erosion damage. This includes trees, grasses, and bushes around your property. They provide additional support for soil and take root very well along slopes and other exposed areas around your home where soil might fall away with any water that comes its way after heavy rains or storms. This will help reduce cracking and erosion and strengthen your home’s foundation.
Protecting Your Home With Erosion Control Products
Another way to protect your home from erosion damage is with erosion control products. There are many control products on the market today, and they range in price, durability, and effectiveness. One product you can consider using is geogrids. Geogrids are made out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic or polyester. Depending on how wide an area you’re trying to protect, they come in various widths, but they’re typically about two feet wide. These geogrids form a protective barrier around any exposed areas of your foundation that keep soil attached to them. You can use mesh fabric that matches the size of the geogrid you choose for best results; however, if it’s unavailable, you can use a smaller piece. Just remember that the geogrid needs to be under soil or mulch, not at the surface where it’s exposed to sunlight and might break down if it’s made from HDPE plastic.
Keeping Your Home Clean
Another thing you should do is keep the exterior of your home clean by making sure no debris piles up near your house. This helps prevent water from pooling next to your home’s foundation, which could lead to moisture accumulating under the concrete slabs of your home. Standing water is particularly dangerous for your home because it could freeze and thaw, causing the concrete to crack. Finally, make sure you check under crawl spaces or patios to make sure there isn’t any debris that may have collected down there too. The best way to keep moisture out of these areas is by properly ventilating them, which can be done by installing vents on walls or floors.
Add Sand or Soil Fill to Your Lawn Area
You can also consider adding soil or sand fill to your lawn if it’s not already there. This will help support the roof of your home and keep bare areas around the foundation from being worn away. In addition, it’ll keep them more protected, which helps reduce erosion damage by making sure they remain covered in soil rather than bare rock or thin soil that dissolves over time. You can do this any time of year because adding new topsoil isn’t only for spring when grasses are usually seeded. However, you should remember not to go overboard as this can cause problems such as drainage issues for you one day.
If you are having problems with cracking around your home’s foundation, then fast action will be necessary to prevent further damage from occurring. First, you should call a professional immediately who can assess the situation and recommend a specific course of action depending on the severity of damage found. In addition, these professionals can give you more suggestions on protecting your home from erosion damage, helping you avoid costly repairs in the future.