Summertime Threats to a Home’s Foundation

When it comes to weather causing issues for your foundation, most of us think about the winter months. With heavy amounts of snowfall coupled with fluctuating temperatures that cause moisture in the soil around a home to contract and expand, winter time can lead to major damage.

However, summer can also be a season that poses serious threats to a home’s foundation as well. Homeowners should take note of the ways summer settling may be causing a need for repair to their foundation.

In fact, summertime can be the most common season for foundation repair in some parts of the country. When the precipitation shifts from snowfall to heavy rain that accompany strong storms, the impact is often erosion and runoff around the foundation.

Hot Weather Dries Out Soil and Stresses the Foundation

Once that rain dries and moisture in the ground evaporates during extended dry spells, the soil in which a home sits rapidly contracts. Over time, pressure against the walls of your home’s foundation leads to cracks due to the shifting this causes.

There are steps residents can take to try and avoid this summertime settling of their home’s foundation. For example, maintaining a steady level of moisture in the soil during drier stretches without any rain over the summer and fall can help avoid seasonal settling.

While watering the soil surrounding your home’s foundation might sound silly—and even garner interesting looks from your neighbors—there are some less conspicuous ways to get the job done. Placing a soaker hose that is made of porous material around the perimeter of your house allows water to seep out and keep the soil moist without walking around the home with a hose in your hand.

Recognize Signs of Damage and Find a Trusted Foundation Repair Company

Watering the soil at a distance of around two feet from your home’s foundation for 15-20 minutes when the temperatures spike to record highs during times of drought will do the trick.

Get professional help as soon as you begin to recognize signs of foundation damage—such as cracks in the walls either inside the home or on the exterior foundation, water stains, and other indicators. This is imperative to the structural integrity of your home long-term.

Call Tom’s Basement Waterproofing at 586-776-7270 or use our online contact form to schedule a free evaluation of your foundation today.