TEMPLE, Texas — Home foundation experts are warning homeowners to check their foundation in this drought.
They say any kind of extreme weather can compromise the foundation of a home, and the best way to spot if your foundation is damaged is by evaluating the perimeters.
Check to see if there are cracks in your drywall or brick, and if your entry and back doors are suddenly much harder to open, this could mean there is motion in your foundation.
Jeff Griffith with Centex Foundation Repair said continuously watering the area of ground near the base of your house will help to prevent this.
"A lot of times when we're in restrictive water use or we're in a severe drought that gap will increase and you'll be able to see quite a substantial gap between the soil, the grass and your home," Griffith said.
But if the City of Temple starts asking residents to conserve water in this drought, this could keep people from practicing what Griffith said.
Alex Gibbs, with the City of Temple, said the city is not at that level yet and says residents shouldn't worry about conserving water yet.
Though, the water level in Lake Belton has decreased.
"It's just something that we have to monitor in the event that we were to get to a level where we would have to put something in place," Gibbs said.
Gibbs added that even before a conservation notice is ever put in place, it is good to think of using water like turning your lights off. You should do it every chance you get.
A good place to keep track of the droughts and their severity in Central Texas is with Drought.gov.
Griffith said if this drought continues, and people do have to conserve water, it is a good practice to continuously watch and monitor your foundation.
He noted that not every crack and shift in a foundation means it's time for repair. Sometimes a house just needs to settle.
"About one out of every two houses we look at we recommend no work is needed, just keep an eye on it," he said.
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