Ways water can damage your foundation

6/3/2019 (Permalink)

One of the things we often see when people call us for water and storm damage restoration is how flooding affects the very foundation of homes. In these cases, it is about far more than the cosmetic damage or even the mold damage that water can cause to your home, it is about your home’s very structural integrity. This being the case, let’s look at four ways in which water can threaten the foundation of your family’s home.

• Soil saturation: Water can cause the soil around the foundation of your home to loosen. This can lead to water penetrating your home. To avoid this, make sure that your gutters and downspouts are clean and working in proper order.
• Soil Erosion: Water can begin to slowly wash away the soil that supports your home’s foundation causing it to settle. Sometimes these signs are very subtle and take some time to occur. Signs of this include uneven floors, drywall cracks, tilting chimneys etc. That is why it is important to have experts look at all aspects of your home in the aftermath of a flood.
• Hydrostatic pressure buildup: Hydrostatic pressure – which is caused by soil that is over saturated with water – can build up and cause your homes wall’s to push inward leading to cracking and bowing. This can happen suddenly or over time as a result of heavy rainfall.
• Excessive tree root growth: Overly saturated soil can cause tree roots around your home’s foundation to grow. These roots can eventually begin to add even more pressure to the foundation of your home and cause your foundation to crack. This in turn can even lead to a home “leaning” noticeably.
• Water can cause damage to wood structural components near your foundation: Foundations that are permeated with water could damage the wooden components of your home. This in turn can lead to mold growth. It is notoriously difficult to remove mold from wood as it is porous. Our professionals have experience in removing wood from homes permanently regardless of what caused it to grow. 

Most homeowners don’t even think about the foundation of their home until it is damaged in some way. But water is one of those forces that can affect the very core of your home. Therefore, flood repair is a very complicated part of recovery from storms. It takes professionals who have encountered these kinds of emergencies and know exactly how to mitigate the damage that flooding often causes.