How Heavy Spring Rains Can Lead to Foundation Problems
Most homeowners understand that their home’s number one natural enemy is water damage. Heavy downpours that are common during spring can spell a lot of trouble for your home, especially if it isn’t well-maintained. From leaky roofs to damaged basement waterproofing, there are really a lot of things that can go wrong if you do not stay on top of things. In today’s article, we explain why heavy rains during spring can be troublesome for your foundation and what you can do about it.
Settling and Sinking Foundations
Heavy rains can cause minor problems such as cracks. But these are easily repaired and are not really structurally significant. The thing you should really worry about is foundation settling or sinking. When this occurs, it can cause problems throughout the entire house such as cracks on your walls and floor, leaning chimneys, and jammed doors and windows.
Settling and sinking occurs when heavy rains cause the soil around and underneath your foundation to swell. Afterward, when a period of drought follows, the soil will shrink and leave a chasm that the foundation can sink into.
How to Combat Foundation Damage
As the old saying goes, prevention is often the best cure. To make sure that your foundation is always in great shape, it is important that you have it properly inspected by professionals at least twice a year to address any exterior water issues. But if foundation damage has already occurred, there is a technique known as foundation piering or piling that can remedy the situation.
Piling or piering is the process of driving steel pipe pilings to remedy damaged or failing building foundations and to correct foundation settlement problems. If you notice any signs of foundation failure, it is very important that you call in an expert right away to prevent it from getting any worse.
From brick foundation repair to basement waterproofing, when it comes to structural integrity issues, turn to the experts at Stratum Structural Systems. Feel free to give us a call at (314) 669-3030 or fill out our contact form to schedule your free inspection today.
