How the Texas Heat Can Damage Your Home’s Foundation

With the Texas heat index projected to reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit in the next three decades, only a few people are prepared for its devastating effects.

But besides buckling roads and killing plant life, the Texas heatwave can also damage your home’s foundation and compromise the structural integrity of your home. Common signs of heat damage on the foundation include cracked drywall, sticking doors and windows, and sloping floors.

Here are ways the Texas heat can damage your foundation and what to do about it:

Shrinks the Soil that Holds the Foundation

When the heat becomes extreme, the soil loses its moisture fast and shrinks in the process.

If your home’s foundation is built around clay-rich soil, it’s likely to get damaged in a heat wave. Clay-rich soils soak in more water in the wet season and become very hard when dry. As a result, the ground will shrink and crack.

Shrinking soil can no longer support a home’s foundation. When the foundation loses stability, you’ll notice cracks in the floor or walls, gaps between exterior windows, and cracked drywall.

With uniform soil moisture under and next to the foundation, you can reduce shrinkage. But you need to leave foundation repair work to professionals.

Causes Foundation Cracks

Cracks can develop in the foundation if the ground surrounding it is significantly dry, especially scorching temperatures beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Whenever the temperatures rise, the soil surrounding the slab will gradually shrink and detach from your home.

Further soil shrinkage can cause cracks of varying sizes in the foundation.  But before the cracks widen, it’s important to investigate their causes with an expert.

Cracks tend to weaken concrete, resulting in the settling or sinking of the foundation. When this happens, you may notice that the slab no longer slopes or isn’t level. Preventative measures like maintaining consistent moisture content in the slab can help.

While not all foundation cracks are a concern, you need to have them checked by an expert first.

Reduces the Stability of the Slab

The foundation of a building helps determine its stability. Therefore, if a building suffers stability problems, the foundation might be the number one culprit.

When constructing the foundation, engineers look at the building type and the ground’s load-bearing capacity to reduce the chances of stability issues. They’ll construct more complex and costly foundations on soft soils because they loosen when wet.

Natural hazards like heat waves, floods, and hurricanes affect the construction of a foundation because the slab has to withstand the devastating effects of these hazards.

Heat waves make the soil around the slab contract. The degree of contraction will depend on the soil, with clay soils known to contract the most. As the heat wave worsens, the foundation will lose its stability, affecting other parts of your home.

Makes the Foundation Sink

In extreme heat, your home’s foundation will crack and separate, needing extra support. Your home will gradually sink into the cracks when the soil starts sinking. Without expert intervention, expect your property to tilt in the direction the slab sinks.

Earthquakes, droughts, heat waves, and remodels may make the soil sink. These affect the ground’s stability and may trigger movements on the soil that accommodates the foundation. A sinking foundation appears settled in the surrounding soil, especially during drought.

Schedule Foundation Repair Work Today

A foundation supports the weight requirements of a building in any season. But the slab may suffer damage in extremely hot weather conditions. It’s, therefore, crucial to pay close attention to the foundation to avoid costly repair work and risk of injury. Ensure all issues are fixed before they become serious and expensive.

Pinnacle Foundation Repair understands that scheduling foundation repair work during the heat waves is important. We offer free foundation inspection to Texas residents. We use advanced technology and equipment to assess your foundation and provide the best solutions in the shortest time possible.

Schedule a foundation repair service with our experts and improve the structural integrity of your house. Get in touch with us at 972-251-0018 for any questions about your foundation.