Is this a sign of foundation damage or something? (Houston: Home Depot, buy)

[cheryjohns]

Call Jericho to come check out the house. They do it for free and they will tell you if there is not a problem (unlike some, who will tell you there is, when there isn't).

[testmo]

if that is the only crack/door jamming what you have it is very minimal and basically normal. drywall can crack just due to getting hot and basic house settling (or bad installation). if you start seeing more cracks, floorboard separating from the floor, more doors sticking then you have a growing problem. if the cracks start in the rock/brick work on the exterior of the home you have a problem. if your home is covered in a veneer or painted it can be more difficult to spot. in this weather it is typically foundation issues due to the soil being too dry. or worst case scenario a water line/sewer line leak in the under slab plumbing.

the "slab hoses" are called soaker hoses. they are typically black and "bumpy". you do not water the exterior walls of your home but place the soaker hoses about 12 inches away from your foundaton and set to water 1-2x per day a bit at a time. the idea is to keep a constant and consistent level of moisture around/under your home. not too wet and not too dry. in this weather you have to fight everything from getting too dry.

if you have trees/shrubs growing right around your home you may want to get rid of them as you want to minimize roots going under your home as they tend to lift and break up concrete and cut into plumbing for the water. even fairly small plants (pampa grass) can affect your homes foundation and also pose termite issues

[modster]

hairline cracks are just part of the normal flexing. It is when you have a crack a quarter inch wide that you have a problem. Ones like that are just paint and go on.

[CRBoyd91]

The door to our garage started doing this. Soaker hoses took the problem away however.

[azamsharp]

@CRBoyd91,

Thanks! How many soaker hoses do you use since I think you cannot wrap one soaker hose around the complete house? Also how many days per week and how many hours do you soak the house. At this moment the heat is kinda going away (kind of) should I be doing the soaker hoses at this time when the heat is going away.

[Sunderpig2]

Yes, it's extremely important to water the foundation directly, all around the house, on a regular basis. Maybe once or twice a week (where legally possible) during these long stretches with no rain.

No visible sign of cracks in the foundation from the exterior may not rule out some underneath the house. Tree roots have to be factored in too. They will seek out shaded areas, which typically hold more moisture. So water the bases of the trees to slow down the roots from "exploring".

[Seoid]

We have 3 soaker hoses around 3 sides of our house... we have to water the other side by hand as there is no hose long enough to make it that far.

We end up soaking during the "watering hours" twice a week on the days we're allotted. The surface tends to dry out in between but the point is the ground below stays somewhat moist. We figure that we do not have a lawn or plants to water so we water our slab instead.

[azamsharp]

Hello All,

Thanks for all the help! So, if I want to just water using the gardening house I should drop water on the foundation or 18-20 inches away from foundation (Like Soaker Hose). Also, if I am using a normal hose how much do I water (How many minutes and how many times a week).

I do have a sprinkler system all around the house which I run two times a week for at least 2.5 hours. I have six stations so some stations get 35 min and some get 15.

[azamsharp]

Just went to 4 different stores and they are all out of SOAKER HOSES. Can I use a regular hose to water around the foundation?

[Va-Cat]

Originally Posted by azamsharp

Just went to 4 different stores and they are all out of SOAKER HOSES. Can I use a regular hose to water around the foundation?

You can but a soaker is better. I'd go online & order one.