Question
We've had quite a few cracks appearing on the inside walls of our house which is in northwest houston. We found out the front of the house is about 2 inches lower than the back of the house. We were considering foundation repairs but they can often cause more problems. I was told that the back of the house has gradually become higher because there are too many trees and shrubs at the front of the house which absorb the moisture in the soil. There are no trees near the back of the house. Do you think that some kind of hydration system or just watering around the front of the house every day could rectify this problem or at least stop it getting worse.

Answer
Andrew:

While moisture expands soil and lack of it reduces volume, I can not think of any instance in which plants have hydrated the soil to the extent that one side of a structure is higher than another.

I would ask a soil engineer, a geologist and a hydrologist about your situation.    If the house is twenty or more years old, settling can account for the cracks.  An idadequate foundation will yield to gravity.  But poor underlying soil and geological conditions will create the problem.

You could conduct your own tests by watering the front yard deeply for a day and measuring the difference in the crack.  If a slight difference, water more and remeasure.

Best wishes and good luck.