There is always a laundry list of things to do when it comes to taking care of a home, and though some of these things remain the same season to season, there are many things that change with the weather! This guide will take you through the seasons and outline everything you should do to care for your home, and when to do it! 

Drainage issues may not seem like the end of the world, but the repercussions of foundation issues could eventually mean thousands and thousands of dollars in repair. Drainage issues, and the resulting excess of water, could lead to loss of foundation stability, as well as structural foundation damage. Drainage issues could also cause insect infestations, mold and allergens, which would directly impact the health of those living within the house. Other possibilities for issues caused by poor drainage are termite infestations, and discoloration and premature aging of concrete and exterior brick. These problems range from inconvenient to detrimental, so Allied has put together this guide on 5 signs that your home has drainage issues that need to be addressed.

Every home experiences some settling over time. It’s especially noticeable within the first 30 years after construction. Occasional creaking is nothing to worry about.

Landscaping is a wonderful way to turn a home into something spectacular. When making landscaping choices, often, the only thing that is considered is how the yard will look afterward. While this may be an important thought in the beginning, it is important to consider how landscaping choices can impact the rest of your home. Landscaping is crucial to protecting the integrity of your foundation, and often, there is little to no awareness on how different landscaping choices can cause severe damage to a foundation. To shed some light on the issue, Allied has put together this guide on the 5 most common landscaping mistakes that can do damage to your foundation. 

Nothing threatens the integrity of your Houston home in such an alarming way as when you notice signs of foundation distress. In this climate, with its interchange of drought and flood (combined with local soil types), foundation settling can often be quite severe.

Trees are a wonderful thing to have around a home! There are so many benefits to having trees, that often, people do not think about the potential consequences or difficulties that could come from having these trees on a property. While trees do block sunlight, offer a space to sit in the shade, or even mitigate some of the frigid winter wind, trees with shallow root systems are a hazard to foundations. This is often something that is not the main focus or even something that homeowners are aware of, so Allied has put together this guide on which trees wreak havoc on your foundation, and how to prevent foundational damage done by trees. 

Foundation repairs are expensive. This is something that is relatively commonly known, but it is not as well known why foundation repairs are so expensive in the first place. There is a lot that goes into estimating the cost of a foundation repair and depending on the different reasons behind the repair, it may impact how much the total cost will be. Different repairs have different costs! However, there are some silver linings to foundation repair, just like with any difficult repair in the home. In this explanation of repair costs, we are going to outline why foundation repairs can be costly, but also why that can be a good thing.

Cracks are an alarming thing to find in a home! Whether it is something you find in a new home or an old home, it can be an uncomfortable experience to notice cracks forming in the walls. While they can sometimes be a sign of a bigger issue, oftentimes, cracks are just symptoms of the wall settling over time. In order to determine what needs to be addressed with the foundation and what can be fixed cosmetically, Allied has created this guide on cracks - what to check for and how to fix them. 

Sometimes the only way to get the exact home that you want is to design it yourself! While this can be a wonderful and exciting time, it can also be stressful. There are many factors that determine how a home build is going to go, and whether or not, in the end, you will have your perfect dream home. One of these factors is the builder! With the right builder, new home construction can be a wonderful experience that ends in your dream home right in front of you. In order to prevent issues and limit the amount of headache that could come your way, we at Allied have put together this guide on choosing the right new home builder to fit your needs. 

Foundations are important - they are, essentially, the backbone of the house, providing support and stability to keep your home standing upright. Foundations are, however, susceptible to the elements, especially in Houston. Depending on what the home is built on, foundations may shift or deteriorate, leaving the home unstable and on uneven ground. The longer this kind of problem is ignored, the worse it could get, so it is important to address your foundation as soon as possible.