By: Megan Palera
mpalera@klkntv.com
That one to two inch gap may look harmless now, but just wait until that next rainfall hits. Your pocketbook won't be the only thing draining.
Giant slabs of concrete are being removed from a home in South Lincoln, and the cracks in the soil tell us why.
"The ground just started shrinking like a raisin and when it shrinks, anything in its path on top of the surface is going to shrink with it," said Dave Spohr with Spohr's Landscaping.
Since May, phone calls concerning foundation issues have skyrocketed 500 percent. "There's no moisture whatsoever five feet down," he says.
So you get this, bricks separating from the garage door, posts now inches higher than the concrete it was once attached to. A $5-10,000 project that if not fixed now, could cost homeowners double in just a few months.
"Right now we're fixing foundations but then we're going to turn right around if you don't take care of them now, you're going to have wet basements and now we have to take care of those," Spohr said.
Spohr recommends taking a walk around your house to look for gaps. Try to seal them as soon as possible with either a product from the store or dirt, but never with sand.
If you notice doors not opening or shutting on floors, lifting or settling, call a consultant right away. As for watering your foundation, don't do it. Spohr says it Texas that works great, but not here in Nebraska. The water will actually do more damage, not help.
