Living in the Dallas Fort Worth area has some incredible benefits. However, the incredible summer heat can have some unfortunate consequences, such as causing damage to housing foundations. Damage to the foundations of your home can manifest in several different ways, but it should always be addressed as soon as possible, and advice sought from an experienced expert. Left alone, foundation damage can cause your house to become unsafe and even uninhabitable. It's important to understand the three major potential effects of summer heat, so you know what signs to look out for, how to best protect the foundations of your home, and enjoy your life in Dallas Fort Worth to its fullest.
Soil Shrinkage
This is the main cause of foundation shifting due to hot weather. As the soil beneath your home dries out and remains dry for long periods of time, it will shrink and compact. In turn, this can create voids underneath your house, meaning your foundations are no longer properly supported by the earth around them. The weight of your house above will then start to sink or shift along the ground to compensate, and you may notice unbalanced or uneven floors, alongside cracks in your walls or floors, and even doors and windows refusing to open and close properly. The sooner you notice any of these consequences and call in a repair, the better.
A company such as Pinnacle Foundation Repair will be able to get to the root of the problem and reinforce your foundations before more damage is done.
Soil Erosion
The danger of soil erosion occurs immediately after a period of heavy drought when the first rainfall hits your property. The dry soil will be unable to absorb the moisture, and the water will run through any voids, washing away the loose, dry soil with it. The voids can, therefore, be enlarged, or water can even fill the voids, putting pressure on the concrete of your foundations. This can cause severe heaving, shifting, and the formation of dangerous cracks that will need expert attention.
Water Evaporation
The third common effect of summer heat on your foundations can be water evaporation from concrete, particularly if your home is relatively new and the concrete foundations therefore still susceptible to this kind of damage. Prolonged and intense heat could cause latent water to evaporate out of the concrete itself, causing it to become unstable. If the concrete cracks, this water can collect inside those cracks and further damage the stability of the foundations.
Solutions
There are many ways to prevent and repair foundation damage due to summer heat. Firstly, you can attempt to mitigate the causes themselves by watering your foundations during the summer. By keeping the soil hydrated, you will prevent it from drying out and creating the problem of shrinkage. However, if your foundations do become compromised, expert repair companies will be able to use a wide variety of techniques to prevent sinking and shifting. These could include installing steel push or helical piers, which will reinforce your existing foundations and ensure they are less affected by the changes of season.
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