An Abilene Foundation Maintenance Calendar

Foundation maintenance on Abilene’s expansive clay is mostly about water: keeping it away from the house when there is too much, and keeping the soil from drying out when there is too little. Here is a season-by-season checklist. None of it is expensive, and doing it consistently is what keeps a marginal foundation from becoming a repair.

Late winter / early spring (February–April)

The soil is near its wettest. Good time to look for heave and to prep for the dry months.

• Walk the perimeter after a rain. Note anywhere water stands against the foundation for more than an hour.
• Check that soil slopes away from the house for the first several feet. Add soil and re-grade low spots.
• Clear gutters of winter debris. Confirm downspouts discharge 5–10 feet out.
• Inspect and photograph any cracks now, at the wet extreme, so you have a baseline to compare against in the fall.
• Service or set your soaker-hose timers before you need them.

Late spring (May–early June)

Transition. The soil starts drying.

• Begin light foundation watering as the weather turns hot and dry: soaker hose 12–18 inches from the beam, short early-morning cycles, a few times a week. See does foundation watering work.
• Trim tree limbs if needed, but do not do major root work in the heat.
• Check that flower beds and irrigation are not soaking one side of the house while another side bakes, even moisture is the goal.

Summer (June–September)

Peak movement season. This is when drought settlement happens.

• Keep the watering program running and consistent. Increase run times in a heat wave, back off after rain. Do not let it become a soaking, that causes heave.
• Watch for the early signs: doors starting to stick, hairline cracks at door corners.
• If you have large trees close to the house, watch the tree side of the home most closely. Consider a root barrier for next year if that side moves.
• Re-photograph cracks in late August, the dry extreme.

Fall (October–November)

Assess what the summer did.

• Compare your late-August crack photos to the spring baseline. Cracks that opened and will close again are seasonal. Cracks that netted wider are progressive, get a survey.
• Taper the watering program as temperatures drop and rain returns.
• Clean gutters again before winter.
• If the summer produced new stair-step cracks, sticking doors that did not recover, or a new floor slope, schedule an inspection before another dry year compounds it.

Year-round

• Fix plumbing leaks promptly, a slow leak under a slab is a common hidden cause of movement.
• Keep the number handy. If a door jams shut, a gap opens to the outside, or you smell gas near a moved section of the house, treat that as prompt.

Questions about your specific home? Call (325) 399-3448 for a free inspection across Abilene and Taylor County.