Utah Drought: Keeping Your Home and Yard Alive - Part 2: Protecting Your Yard and Exterior

Hey there, Salt Lake Valley neighbors! If you caught Part 1 of our series, you know we’ve been diving deep into how the ongoing Utah drought is more than just a reason to skip washing the truck. It’s a direct threat to your home’s efficiency and your wallet.

While Part 1 was all about the hidden water waste happening in your pipes and sprinklers, today we’re stepping outside. When the ground gets bone-dry and the sun beats down on Herriman, Riverton, and Sandy, it doesn't just kill the grass. It actually starts to wear down the physical structure of your home.

Here are three major things you need to watch out for as the heat sticks around.

1. When the Ground Walks Away: Foundation Gaps

In the Salt Lake Valley, we have a lot of clay-heavy soil. When it’s hydrated, it stays plump and holds your foundation tight. But during a drought, that soil loses its moisture and shrinks.

If you walk around your home in West Valley City or Magna right now, you might notice a visible gap between the dirt and your concrete foundation. This is a huge red flag. When the soil pulls away, it stops supporting the concrete evenly, which can lead to settling, interior drywall cracks, and doors that suddenly won't shut.

Even worse? When we finally do get those big Utah summer thunderstorms, that gap acts like a funnel, sending water directly under your foundation or into your basement.

Pro Tip: In clay-heavy soils, controlled moisture management around the foundation can help reduce dramatic shrinkage during prolonged dry periods. Using a soaker hose a few feet away from the house can keep the soil stable enough to prevent that dangerous shrinkage. For more on spotting these issues, check out our guide on exterior home inspection red flags.

2. Thirsty Wood: Your Deck and Fence are Screaming

We love our outdoor living spaces here in Utah, but the drought is brutal on wood. Between the lack of humidity and the intense UV rays we get at this elevation, your deck and fence are essentially being "kiln-dried" all summer long.

When wood loses too much moisture too fast, it starts to check (those long cracks you see in the middle of boards), warp, and splinter. If your deck feels extra "crunchy" or if the boards are starting to curl at the corners, the drought is winning.

Once wood cracks, it’s not just an ugly sight. It’s an invitation for moisture to rot the wood from the inside out when winter eventually hits. Keeping a fresh seal or stain on your wood surfaces is the best defense against the Salt Lake sun. If you’ve been putting off maintenance, now is the time to act before the damage becomes permanent. You can see some of our recent deck and staircase work here to see what a well-maintained exterior should look like.

3. The Great "Sun-Baked" Breakdown: Caulk and Paint

Most people think of paint and caulk as purely cosmetic, but they are actually your home’s first line of defense against the elements. During a drought, the combination of extreme heat, very low humidity, and prolonged dry conditions causes these materials to become brittle.

Take a look at the windows of your Sandy or Riverton home. Is the caulk starting to flake off? Is the paint on your trim bubbling or peeling? UV damage accelerates during dry spells, and once your caulk fails, you’re losing all that expensive air-conditioned air to the outside.

Fixing these small "skin" issues on your home now is a lot cheaper than dealing with the wood rot or pest infestations that follow when the exterior barrier fails. We’ve talked before about how small repairs protect home value, and during a drought, this is truer than ever.

We’re Here to Help!

Drought maintenance is all about being proactive. Whether it's resealing a deck, checking your foundation, or refreshing that sun-baked caulk, Your Handyman Pros has your back across the entire Salt Lake Valley. We live here, we work here, and we know exactly what the Utah climate does to a house.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll talk about the smart upgrades you can make to save even more water and money!

If you’re worried about how the heat is hitting your home, give us a shout. I am a licensed and insured contractor, and we’re ready to help you keep your home in tip-top shape.