The Queensland first home buyer's grant is a $20,000 incentive to purchase a new home and land package. You have taken advantage of this financial bonus, and move-in day is just around the corner. Since you have not lived in Brisbane before, you may not be aware of the types of weather you can expect. Brisbane suffers from periods of both drought and very wet weather. Since both of these weather extremes impact on the foundation of your new home, you must know how to protect your new home's foundations from needing an expensive repair.

Dry weather

Dry weather is one thing Queensland is famous for being the Sunshine State with approximately 261 days of sun per year. However, this extended period of sunshine means the soil around your new home loses a lot of moisture. As the water in the soil evaporates, it constricts and cracks. Continual movement around the foundation of your new home eventually causes the property to shift and then leaves you with cracks in your foundations.

The ideal way to stop this from happening is to water the ground around your home's foundations every second day during the dry periods. All you need is a garden hose which you can purchase from any home hardware store. This keeps the ground moist and eradicates the chance of the dirt cracking.

Wet weather

At the other end of the spectrum, Queensland summer storms bring with them torrential rain downpours. Too much water in the soil puts increased pressure against the foundation of your home. Additionally, if the soil has too much sand in it, the ground becomes liquid, and this also creates instability under and around the foundation.

The first time you experience a Queensland summer storm, take careful note outside whether water around the base of your house is draining away quickly or if it is pooling. If the water is pooling, then you need to increase the amount of drainage on your property to take the excess water away. Talk to your local contractor about the best and least intrusive way to do this.

Finally, any cracks or crumbling noticed in your foundation needs repair as soon as possible. A small crack can be filled in for repair, but a large crack requires more expensive solutions. By taking care of the soil around your home from the day you move in, you should be able to avoid having to repair your foundation for years to come. For more information about foundation repair, contact a local professional.