Hot Weather and Foundation Cracks

As you may know, the foundation is one of the most structurally important parts of a home. That’s why when you need cracks in your foundation you need to take swift action to ensure that your home and its occupants stay safe.

One of the biggest causes of foundation cracks is in hot weather. This can be especially difficult for homeowners in Texas, as the summer generates very high temperatures. This issue is specifically common in properties that have a concrete slab foundation. In fact, fractures in concrete slabs are one of the most common ways that your foundation can be damaged. Cracks are usually an indication that a larger issue may happen soon. 

One way homeowners can prevent these issues in their property is to have their concrete foundations frequently inspected, allowing for small repairs to be made right away. This can help you avoid frustrating and costly problems such as cracking and other detrimental deterioration in your concrete foundation. 

How Hot Weather Can Cause Cracks in Your Foundation

In Texas, the scorching weather conditions can often reach 96-105 degrees Fahrenheit. In a climate with such extreme conditions, the heat has the chance to deteriorate your home’s foundation. This damage often happens when the high heat levels cause the soil around your foundation to contract. Repairing said deterioration can end up being time-consuming and expensive if left unnoticed for an extended amount of time. 

Ideally, homeowners would specifically look out for this problem in the months of June, July, and August, which are often the hottest months of the year. This time frame is when the ground that surrounds your foundation can start to become exceedingly dry due to the extreme heat and lack of humidity.

Ultimately, the main cause of these detrimental foundation cracks is the changes in the weather. As the heat continues to rise, the clay soil that surrounds your property and your concrete slab foundation will shrink and pull away from the house. This can cause your foundation to move, and you may notice that your foundation has begun to crack and fracture. 

A fracture in your foundation can increase quickly in size, and once the cracks start to form they will continue to grow if they are not repaired as quickly as possible. The growing fractures can then eventually reach well beyond one inch in width, which is when the repairs may begin to get more expensive and cumbersome. Safety will also become more and more compromised as the issue progresses.

These gaps and cracks will, over time, weaken your otherwise strong concrete foundation if they are left unattended or if they are not repaired as soon as they are noticed. If this deterioration continues, you may eventually start to notice that your concrete slab is sloping, or is no longer properly leveled.

This is why there is so much importance placed on frequent inspections of your concrete slab foundation during the hottest months of the year. When you can catch these cracks in your foundation early, they can be fixed quickly. When it comes to something as integral to your home as your foundation, it’s wise to be proactive with your repairs and inspections. 

Measures to Protect Your Property’s Foundation

When the climate where you live begins to get warm, you can take many preventative measures to ensure that you avoid these costly and frustrating issues with your concrete foundation.

Keep Soil Moist

One thing you can do to prevent cracking and fractures is to keep a consistent level of moisture when it comes to the soil around your foundation. If you own a home, it may be beneficial for you to invest in a soaker hose to regularly maintain this level of moisture. In fact, doing this can help you to minimize the amount of cracking that may occur on the concrete surfaces of your property, providing your soil and foundation with some moisture. 

At the end of the day, this is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to ensure that your foundation remains in top condition as Texas enters the hottest and driest months of the year, and it’s certainly less expensive than repairs.

Regular Inspections

You’ll also want to have a regular property and foundation inspections carried out throughout the year, or as the seasons change as these can have the biggest impact on the strength of your property’s foundation. 

Other Weather Conditions Impact on a Homes Foundation

Another thing to keep in mind as a homeowner is that while the extreme heat can cause cracking and damage to your concrete foundation, cold weather and rainfall may do the same. This is because when slabs are made out of concrete, they could possibly expand or even splinter when they are in excessively wet or cool climates. 

At the end of the day, if you wish to prevent these issues, it’s imperative that you learn about all of the ways that the climate and weather conditions of your local area can impact the foundation of your home, especially if it’s made from the concrete slab. 

In doing so, you will discover that in addition to extremely hot weather, there are a variety of other factors that can contribute to the deterioration of your durable and otherwise solid concrete foundation. By being aware of these issues, you can more easily prevent them from happening. 

Bottom Line

When it comes to maintaining a solid and healthy concrete foundation, it’s always best to stop any trouble before it starts. If you happen to notice anything that may indicate the deterioration of the foundation of your home, it’s imperative to enlist the help of a reputable foundation repair contractor. This contractor will then perform a thorough evaluation of the home’s foundation. 

By hiring a professional, you will be able to determine the exact cause of any slab fracture you may be faced with, and you may then deal with the issue quickly and effectively. The experts at Granite Foundation Repair can address all your needs. Contact us today to learn more!