How Does the Cold Weather Affect Your Home and Foundation?

What is Foundation and Why is it Important? 

Your foundation is quite literally what you expect - the base upon which your home sits on. It carries the weight of your entire structure and keeps it upright, stable and safe. A compromised foundation can lead to numerous structural issues, including sagging floors, cracked walls, and in extreme cases, collapse. 

How the Cold Weather Impacts Your Foundation

Cold weather isn't the only thing that can impact your foundation's integrity; however, with winter quickly approaching, it is important to know how the coming cold weather can affect your home's foundation. 

• Frost Heave - This phenomenon occurs when the moisture in the soil around your foundation freezes and expands. This expansion pushes upwards against your foundation, leading to potential cracks and structural instability. 
• Ground Shrinkage - As the temperatures fall, the ground around your foundation can contract and shrink, leaving gaps where water can seep into the soil around the foundation. When the temperatures rise again, the ground swells and puts pressure on your foundation walls, leading to possible cracks and other damage. 
• Winter Droughts - Oddly enough, winter droughts can actually cause significant damage to your foundation. The ground can become dry and compacted during long periods of freezing temperatures and as the ground hardens, it can put excessive pressure on your foundation leading to potential damage. 

How to Protect Your Foundation During Cold Weather

• Insulation - Just like you insulate the rest of your home to protect it from the cold, you can insulate your foundation with special materials that will prevent the surrounding soil from freezing and reduce the risk of frost heave. 
• Proper Drainage - Ensuring you have proper drainage around your home is key to reducing the risk of water accumulating and freezing around your foundation. Grading your property so that water flows away from your home and installing effective drainage systems can be highly beneficial. 
• Regular Inspection & Maintenance - Regular inspection of your foundation, especially before winter, can help spot potential issues early and mitigate the effects of cold weather. 

Your foundation is a vital part of your home and understanding how the cold weather impacts it is crucial to maintaining your home's integrity. Taking the proper proactive steps and measure to prevent any damage will ensure your foundation remains strong and supportive. 

Here at Alford Foundation & Crawl Space Repair, we offer FREE, no obligation inspections for your home's foundation, basement and/or crawl space. So don't wait until it's too late, call us today!