As we head towards the warmer months of the year, it’s time to start thinking about getting outside and working on your landscaping. One of the best parts of owning a home is having a wonderful front and backyard where the family can relax, kids and pets can play, and gardens can be planted. And while your landscaping can provide all of these things, did you know it can also protect your home?
This spring and summer, get outside and make these changes to help protect your home.
All About Grading
Have you been experiencing leaking in your foundation? The grading around your house may be the culprit. Grading is how much the ground slopes away from your home. If it doesn’t slope enough, or if it is sloping back towards your home, water can easily pool around your foundation, leading to flooding inside of your home.
The first 10 feet of soil around your home should drop about six inches, creating a nice, slight decline away from your home. The decline of the slope can decrease as you get further away from the foundation, but it should continue to slope away from your home until you reach the end of your property line.
Tree Location and Maintenance Are Important
If you are looking to plant new trees this spring, where you plant them can have a significant impact on your home. Before planting, consider the mature height of the trees. Trees that will reach up to 70 feet or more should be planted at least 20 feet away from your home. This will help by keeping falling branches and debris from damaging your roofing, siding, gutters, and windows.
Tree maintenance also plays a large role in protecting your home. Large trees that are planted far enough away from your home can still sprout limbs that hang over your house. Even if the limbs appear sturdy, they can still be brought down by heavy winds during a storm. Keep up with pruning trees in order to avoid damage to your home’s exterior.
Mulch is Good For Your Foundation
There’s a reason why mulch is a common material used around the foundation of a home, and it’s not just because it looks nice. Mulch also helps the soil around your home maintains moisture during dry summer months. When the soil around your home dries out, it contracts and cause settling in your foundation. Adding mulch to the areas around your foundation will help retain moisture and prevent settling and damage to your home.
It’s Almost Time to Get Outside
The warm weather is almost here! As you are outside working on your yard, don’t forget to inspect your roofing, siding, windows and gutters to see if anything needs to be repaired or replaced. For a free quote on your next exteriors project, contact Schmidt Roofing.
