Drought Cycles and Your Foundation

All of the grass around my apartment complex is dying. Even where there are sprinklers, it’s not quite enough to keep up with the relentless sun and sweltering temperatures. The grass is crunchy and the ground is crumbling with every step, it seems. Other than being unsightly and uncomfortable, did you know that this is also dangerous for your foundation?

While we’re not technically in a drought, we’ve only gotten sporadic rain over the past few weeks and there’s very little in the forecast. Chronically dry soil hardens and shrinks and can pull away from your foundation in the process. This both has the potential to allow water in through your walls when it does rain, but also leaves the walls off-kilter and unsupported. One of the major causes of wall cracks or bowing is shifting soil, so any movement can have big effects.

When it finally does rain, soil can expand rapidly, which can put uneven pressure on foundation walls again, causing them to bow and shift. If you have weather like we’ve had, with days or weeks of dry and then a massive storm, followed by a return to dry conditions, this becomes a cycle that continuously shifts soil and creates new and odd pressure points on your walls.

From bowing walls to water leaks to settling and cracking slabs, drought cycles can wreak havoc on your foundation. We have solutions for all of those problems and more, including wall stabilization systems, waterproofing, and even piering systems for foundations.

Take a walk around your house and pay attention - do you see visible space between the lawn and your foundation that wasn’t there before? This is a sign of soil shrinkage and shifting. Keep an eye on your foundation walls and, if you notice anything different, call us to discuss wall stabilization solutions.