Do hot summer temperatures cause foundation cracks. In a word, yes. Or at least the hot weather often does.
And cracks in your home foundation can also become cracks in your peace of mind. If the problem is left unattended, then the foundation cracks can become a bigger issue, letting water in, causing serious structural damage and leading to even bigger foundation repair jobs and costs.
The issue is particularly relevant in areas like Tulsa, where average summer temperatures regularly rise into the 90s F.
Makes the Soil Contract
During summer, the heat can dry out the soil around your house, making it shrink and pull away from the foundation. The shrinkage can cause foundation movement, making small cracks even bigger, growing to one inch and beyond.
Over time the cracks weaken the concrete more and more, finally resulting in sinking or settling in your slab foundation. Eventually, you’ll see the foundation is no longer level and perhaps even noticeably sloping. Danger bells should be ringing.
The Problem with Clay
Homes build on clay soil are even more prone to summer foundation cracks. It’s the nature of clay soil to swell in volume when it gets wet and then to shrink as it dries out in the heat. The shrinking and swelling tends to happen at ground level and just below, pressuring and pulling on the foundation of your home, letting it sink and causing cracks and eventually structural damage.
Not Just the Summer
Of course, it’s not just the summer heat that’s the issue. Wetter weather and colder weather can also have an effect on the foundation, causing cracks and undermining its integrity. No matter the weather or season, cracks in your foundation, especially ones that are noticeably expanding, need to be inspected and fixed as soon as possible.
Keep it Wet
One way to combat the summer heat foundation cracks problem is to keep the soil around your home wet, spending up to 15 or 20 minutes a day hosing around the foundation. While this may drive up your water bills, it’s still better than the thousands of dollars it may cost to repair the foundation.
However, drought conditions and prohibitions may prevent you from using water this way. Or despite your best efforts, the cracks in the foundation may still appear. Then you must get the services of a foundation damage repair expert to address the issue.
For a free consultation about your foundation damage issue, contact the proven professionals at Eden Structural Solutions. Serving Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas, we have more than 30 years of providing customers with the best service and foundation repair solutions.
