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In the Hill Country the weather swings from months of drought to a few inches of rain in an afternoon. Clay soil around a foundation moves with every one of those swings, and drainage is how you keep that movement small.
Central Texas is known for long dry stretches broken by short, heavy storms. The record 2011 drought and the dry summers since are good examples of how far soil can dry out, and the region's flash flooding shows how much water can arrive at once. Expansive clay shrinks as it dries and swells as it wets. A foundation can live with slow, even change. What causes damage is uneven change: one side of the house soaked by a downspout while the other side stays bone dry, or soil that goes from cracked open to saturated in a weekend. The goal of foundation drainage is not to keep the soil dry. It is to keep it at a steady moisture level all the way around the house.
Many Boerne lots have a layer of clay over caliche or limestone. Water soaks into the clay and then hits the harder layer underneath, where it tends to move sideways instead of draining down. On a sloped lot that means water from uphill can travel under the surface and collect against your foundation, even when the surface looks dry. It is also why a French drain that works well in deep sandy soil can behave differently here, and why the drain has to be planned around where the rock and slope actually are. Our Hill Country soil guide covers these layers in more depth.
If your foundation has already moved, drainage alone will not lift it back. It will slow or stop further movement, and it protects any slab repair or pier work you do. When both are needed, the usual order is foundation repair first, then drainage, so the grading is not disturbed by pier excavation. If you are not sure your foundation has moved yet, drainage is the cheapest place to start. Our drainage tips guide lists simple checks you can do yourself after the next rain. The best time to look is during or right after a heavy storm: walk the house with an umbrella and note where water collects, where downspouts discharge, and which way it flows off the lot. Photos taken then are more useful than any description afterward.
During long dry spells, a soaker hose placed a foot or so out from the slab and run on a timer can keep the soil from shrinking away from the edge. The point is even, moderate moisture, not flooding. Check local water restrictions first, since the City of Boerne and many water suppliers in Kendall County limit outdoor watering during drought stages.
Yes. In expansive clay, water is the main thing that makes soil move. Uneven moisture around a house, from a misplaced downspout, a low spot, or a big tree on one side, is behind a large share of foundation movement in the Hill Country.
Many homes only need grading, swales, and longer downspout runs. A French drain makes sense when water is moving below the surface, often from uphill on a sloped lot, and grading alone cannot intercept it. An inspection after a rain shows which you have.
During extended drought it can help, as long as it is even and moderate around the whole house. A soaker hose a foot or so from the slab on a timer works better than spraying. Follow any watering restrictions in effect where you live.
It removes the most common cause, which slows or stops further movement in many homes. It will not lift a foundation that has already settled. That takes piering and foundation leveling.
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