As the rest of this unseasonably hot summer rolls on with little rain, one other issue besides plants dying that homeowners need to be wary of is damage to the foundation of their homes.  The soil underneath a home's foundation acts like a sponge meaning as it absorbs water, it expands and as it loses water, it contracts.  This expansion and contraction can cause your house to shift and eventually damage your foundation.  Fixing it isn't cheap either.  Insurance adjusters say the average foundation repair runs between $3,000 and $7,000 and most homeowners insurance policies don't mention coverage for drought-related foundation problems.

So what can you do about it?  A relatively cheap way to keep the soil under the foundation of a home from excessively expanding and contracting is to run a series of soaker hoses along the side of your home to keep moisture in the soil.  The best method to doing this is to bury the hose 3 inches deep and about 18 inches away from the edge of your foundation.  The distance is helpful because it allows the water evenly soak the soil instead of pool up next to the edge of the house.

Another thing to consider is not planting new trees or large shrubs too close to your house.  These items take in a lot of water and can rob the soil underneath your foundation of much needed moisture.  Even though the process of watering around your foundation can cause your water bill to go up, it will be much less costly than having to hire someone to repair it.