Why Different Types Of Weather Contribute To Foundation Damage
Your home’s foundation rests quietly beneath your feet. Every morning as you get up and start your day, you are relying upon your foundation for the first step out of bed. Your foundation might not be very noticeable in your day-to-day life, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard at work, holding your home in place. However, when your foundation suffers from damages, you will quickly remember the vital role it plays. As foundation repair experts in Macomb — serving the entire state of Michigan — we are well aware of the intricate and important role foundations play in homeowner’s lives. Our business is to care about what happens to the foundation below your home. From assisting with repairs to helping homeowners waterproof their basements, we are equipped to ensure that your home’s structure remains solid, no matter what trouble comes your way.
One such issue that might wreak havoc on your foundation is the weather. While you might not see the damages weather can play on your foundation, the extreme ups and downs of the Michigan climate can silently destroy your home’s base. Read on to learn more about why different types of weather can contribute to foundation damage and reach out to our team for further help.
Why The Winter Causes Woes
Do you enjoy the frigidly cold days of winter? Perhaps you relish curling up by the fire with a hot beverage in hand. While the winter might bring some of Michigan’s most beautiful snowstorms and enchanting holiday weather, it also brings a slew of issues for your home’s foundation.
As moisture invades the soil surrounding your home and the temperatures plummet, the water will freeze. As it freezes it will expand, taking up more space and displacing the soil around it. When the moisture seeps into your foundation, this same action will take place. Once the temperatures warm back up, the moisture in the soil and your foundation will thaw, contracting. As the moisture contracts and leaves the area, cracks are left behind. The cracks in the soil will lead to shifting in the ground beneath your home, which can leave your foundation on uneven ground. This will stress your foundation further. The moisture that leaves your foundation can cause cracking in the actual slab. These cracks will worsen with time as the cycle continues. New moisture will invade existing cracks, leading to bigger crevices.
How Heat Takes Its Toll
Not only can the winter months cause your foundation to sink, shift, or crack, the summer months can also take their toll. When the hottest days of summer arrive and the moisture seems to fade out of thin air, your home’s foundation might be at risk. While we have a fairly humid climate here in Michigan, if your home is resting on a clay soil foundation, it can be at risk for damage due to the drying out of the soil. When the heat bakes the clay under your home, all the moisture that had built up will evaporate, leaving behind gaps in the clay.
As these gaps widen and the moisture levels rise and fall throughout the summer months, the soil can shift, erode, and sink. This rarely happens in an even manner, which means that your home is resting on irregular ground. When this happens, your foundation will take the brunt of the stress and over the years it will start to crack and break apart.
When The Raging Rains Wreak Havoc
A big contender to your foundation is the amount of moisture your home has to endure in the Michigan climate. When heavy rainfall pours down upon your home, everything underneath the structure will bear the brunt of the force. If your foundation is not solid, your basement is not waterproofed, and your crawl space is not sealed against moisture, heavy rains can lead to serious trouble. Rain will cause water to pool inside your basement and crawl spaces, causing structural damage to your home. It will also oversaturate the soil underneath your home — particularly in the case of clay soil. Then, when the water leaves the area, the soil will shift and crumble underneath your home.
Not only will moisture build up cause structural issues to the ground beneath your home, it can also lead to mold and mildew growth within your home. Basements and crawl spaces in Michigan are a perfect breeding ground for these dangerous growths if you do not properly waterproof the areas. This mold and mildew can cause a slew of issues from health-related concerns to damage to the structure of your property. For this reason, it is vitally important that you have a proper drainage system in place to pull water away from your home. In some cases, investing in a sump pump will go a long way in preventing water damages.
The reality is that if you have a home in Michigan, you will face the fury of mother nature at some point in time. Make sure your foundation is ready to handle what lies ahead and repair any issues in a timely fashion. For assistance with foundation repairs in Macomb or surrounding locations, we invite you to reach out to our team. We can help ensure your home is resting on solid ground once again.