Summer is in full swing – the barbecues are fired up, the beaches are teeming with SoCal residents seeking sweet relief from the heat, and the days are long.
Note – This summer, the home market is also incredibly hot. Take advantage of the sellers’ market and sell your home fast. Check out our article Sell your home with Foundation Issues
You may not have realized, but extreme prolonged heat can pose a threat to your home’s foundation. The culprit – expansive soil.
Water evaporates. The hot summer weather steals the moisture from the soil around your home and your foundation. This can cause the soil to shrink.
The shrinking soil shifts and is displaced. Displaced soil directly translates into less support for your foundation and the home secured to it.
This drying, evaporation can lead to a slew of uncomfortable and unaesthetic signs and symptoms around your home:
- Cracked drywall
- Kitchen cabinets/counters separate from walls
- Sloping floors
- Sticking doors and windows
Here are the top three ways heat can affect your foundation –
1. Shrinking Soil
Summer dries the world out, particularly here in Southern California where wildfires are prevalent and lake levels continue to dissipate.
Hot weather dehydrates the soil in your yard. The soil that surrounds your foundation is typically moist due to shade and sprinkler systems. When this soil does shrink, however, it is unable to support your foundations. When your foundation loses support, this presents undue stress on your home’s frame.
The foundation can crack with this loss of support.
2. Foundation Cracks
If you’ve seen soil crack from dry weather, the same thing can happen to the foundation of your home.
Learn more about this in our article: Top 5 Characteristics of Concrete Cracks.
3. Sinking Foundations
Foundations crack and separate until support is provided. This means the house will naturally sink into the gaps created by the sinking soil. As a result, parts of your foundation and house can tilt in the direction the foundation started to fall and sink. This is called foundation settlement.
It is important to note that even if you don’t see cracks in your foundation, you can still have foundation damage from the heat.
On the other side, wet weather can cause foundation heave, which can crack the foundation of your home. Check out our article: 3 Ways to Mitigate Foundation Heave
Leaving a foundation problem unattended can make the foundation issue even more unmanageable, resulting in water damage, larger cracks, and greater structural damage.
Don’t put off your repairs. Read our article 5 Reasons to Fix Your Foundation Now
Don’t wait until more problems occur. Calling an expert will give you peace of mind that your home and family are safe.
Choose Dalinghaus
There is a long litany of foundation repair companies you can choose from. We hope you choose Dalinghaus Construction Inc. We have over 2,000 successful foundation repairs under our belt and over 100 years of combined foundation repair experience.
But don’t take our word for it, we have a strong Google rating of 4.9 stars out of almost 300 reviews.
Still not convinced? Check out our article on the origins of Dalinghaus Construction Inc., the story of two farm boys from Kansas who work hard to do it the right way – Why Hire Dalinghaus Construction Incorporated?
If you live in Southern California or Arizona and are ready to fix your foundation NOW, click the link below for a FREE foundation repair inspection –
