Will Foundation Repairs Destroy My Landscape?

Homeowners that are experiencing foundation problems find themselves not only facing the issues of foundation restoration, but also landscape repair. When your foundation develops nasty cracks in the brick or walls, it’s imperative that action is taken immediately so that the problem does not get worse over time. A foundation problem that is ignored can cost you a lot more to fix in the long run and will often not pass inspection if you go to sell the house.

Some of the foundation issues that Hamilton & Burlington homeowners face are flooding basements, leaking windows, basement wall cracks, leaking pipe penetration, leaks in plumbing and poor grading of the landscape surrounding the house. The cracks that appear on bricks in the stair step means that the foundation has been compromised and requires that the slab be lifted and put back into place. Cracks that are visible around the house foundation also indicate that the foundation has been compromised and require restoration work to avoid further decay.

As you might imagine, when foundation repairs occur, digging will have to be done along the side of your house to install foundation supports and this process will have an effect and impact your existing landscaping. Most contactors will make every effort to minimize the damage to the landscape area surrounding the foundation, but this can only be determined by the amount of supports required to resolve the foundation problem.

If your foundation requires full excavation, you can expect some damage to your landscaping and property around the house. The soil from the excavation is transported to an outside trench where it is piled up for the duration of the remedial work. This soil takes up a lot of space and unfortunately your landscaping is going to be impacted.

The exaction backfilling for restoration work requires at least a 15 feet of perimeter space around the foundation. The excavation equipment alone will create a mess of the yard; however, a good contractor will make every effort to minimize the destruction. They will also provide you with some options to restore your landscaping from simply adding topsoil to a full service re-landscaping project including new plants, sod, interlocking stone, etc. The cost of additional landscaping beyond your existing landscape depends on the scope of the work.

Foundation waterproofing is one of the more disruptive types of restoration work and you should be prepared for the change in look to your property. Sometimes trees need to be relocated or taken down, plants and shrubbery removed, soil relocated, heating or air conditioning temporarily removed, and hydro lines realigned. This type of extensive work will require some landscape redesign and may turn out to be costly, but for the sake of your home’s foundation, it is a necessity. On the positive side, you could look at this foundation remediation work as an opportunity to develop a new strategy for your landscape to acquire a fresh new look.

At Conterra Foundation and Repair, we will explain in advance where we will be digging and why.  Our goal is to not only repair your foundation, but provide you with excellent service and value for your money.