Common Wintertime Foundation Issues

Foundation shifting is typical and can worsen during winters when temperatures change constantly.

Weather in the northeastern United States is known for hot and humid summers and unkind, chilly winters. As a result, property owners must pay attention to their home’s foundations. With such temperature extremes, foundations suffer from various kinds of damage.

Although it’s best to contact a reputable foundation repair company when foundation problems come up, it’s also helpful to know a little bit of information going into the conversation.

Following are some common wintertime foundation concerns. Read on to learn more!

Shifting foundation

Foundation shifting is typical and can worsen during winters when temperatures change constantly. The freezing and thawing of snow causes the ground to become unstable. When this freeze-thaw cycle happens, a home’s foundation shifts as much as a few inches. It might also mean structural damage to the inside and outside of the residence, like foundation wall cracks.

Extreme moisture

The average ratio of snow to water is 10 to 1, meaning that for every 10 inches of snow, when it melted, it would produce one inch of liquid precipitation (water).

Homeowners living in places where it snows may be happy to see signs of snow melting, but they should also keep in mind what this melting snow can do to a home, especially basements. As the snow melts, it’s not uncommon to see water pooling around the house's base and leaking into the basement. If this happens, contact a location contractor with experience in waterproofing, sump pump installation, and crack injection solutions.

Soil erosion

Unfortunately, cold winter air also tends to go hand in hand with dry soil. While summer months cause soil to swell, winter does the opposite. Dry, cold air causes soil to shrink due to a lack of moisture and pull away from a home’s foundation wall. With time, the foundation walls will not have enough support.

Freezing pipes

Basement flooding is no joke, not to mention its cost. A temperature drop below 20 degrees can cause pipes to freeze and burst if they are insufficiently insulated, causing devastating damage to a home’s foundation. Insulating pipes sufficiently for the weather extremes is crucial, especially in crawl spaces, attics, and basements.

Accurate Builders of the Chesapeake provide foundation, basement, and crawlspace installation and repair for the greater Baltimore area homeowners.