North Dallas residents should all have their home foundations inspected this spring. We had a very warm winter this year. This winter, coupled with last year’s warm winter and hot summer has had a drastic effect on foundations throughout Texas and especially in homes in North Dallas. Your home’s foundation is dependent on seasonal cycles, possibly more than you think. Temperatures cause your foundation to flex. During the winter, the cold causes the concrete and metal in your foundation to shrink. The dry ground also shrivels, removing support for your foundation. When summer rolls around, the opposite occurs, expanding your foundation. This is a natural part of your home’s life cycle, but the exceptionally warm winters of the last two years have prevented this rebound period from occurring, stressing your foundation and leading to cracked foundations throughout the DFW metroplex.
Signs of a Cracked Foundation
While it takes an experienced eye to recognize what is the full damage to a foundation, an untrained eye can keep watch for signs of a damaged foundation. If you notice:
- Doors and windows that won’t close properly
- Cracks in walls
- Bowing walls
- Cracked floor tiles or wood
- Cracks in exterior bricks
- Uneven or sloping floors
It’s likely you’ve had some form of foundation damage. While these may seem like minor annoyances now, the problems will worsen as the seasons change. It’s up to you to act now to fix your home and repair damages before they become worse.
Effects of a Damaged Foundation
It’s likely that you’ve seen how a cracked foundation can affect doors and windows. Doors that once swung freely are now difficult to close or open, and may not be able to latch properly. Imagine that same effect on your home’s plumbing. Rigid piping, carefully aligned when it was designed, is now stressed and warped to the maximum flexing point. As the stresses on your foundation increase, the stresses on your home’s plumbing increase. Hot water at high pressure will find the easiest path out of your pipes. As soon as a leak starts, it can become difficult to stop, especially on a high-pressure line. Before you know it, water can come flooding through a wall, damaging supports, insulation, and drywall.
If this happens, you need to shut off the water immediately and disconnect power to that affected rooms. You’ll also want to call for fast drying support and service immediately. Letting the room air dry is a bad idea, as the water is likely to soak into carpet mats and under floor tiles, where it erodes away the flooring, leaving permanent damage or causing mold growth that will require professional remediation.
A cracked foundation is also more easily damaged. Water will always find the quickest way to the lowest point and, if your foundation is cracked or drainage around your house is not properly maintained, water will seep into the foundation, leaking into your home and expanding the cracks inside the concrete of your foundation. If the pipes in your home haven’t cracked or begun leaking yet, it may only be a matter of time before you start noticing water damage from dripping pipe joints or flooding from a burst pipe.
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Typically when we’re talking about water damage we mean flooding in the home from broken pipes or heavy rains. That type of water damage is substantial and can compromise the construction and contents of your home equally. This kind of water damage is repaired by replacing walls, insulation, carpeting, and personal effects while investigating the home for lingering mold. But there are other dangers that can come from long-term water damage you aren’t aware of.