Well friends, it’s been a bit of an abreviated week for the Fox this week but we’ll see you here next week.  In the mean time, take the advice of a local sidewalk vandal…

About the only thing growing in Brookside these days…

Well, yesterday’s pittering not included, it’s been about 1 jillion days since it rained here in Kansas City.  The consequences for our gardens and yards has been predictable.  But did you know the drought is probably affecting the foundation of your house?

Much the same forces that create Kansas City’s dread potholes are at play here.  When Missouri’s clay soil is wet, it expands and lifts your foundation–or holds it in place.  When the dirt around the house gets this dry, it contracts and compacts, letting the foundation lower.

Signs of this phenomenon are often seen as growing spaces between your door and it’s jam, cracks in the brick veneer of your house or even in the floor of your basement.

mind the gap–it’s a warning sign!

The Missouri Extension suggests watering your foundation on a regular basis, ideally with a soaker hose placed 8-18inches from your foundation.

All I have to say is, yikes.  Sometimes it’s nice to be a renter!