How Drought Conditions Impact Your Foundation (And How to Spot The Damage
If you're dealing with drought-like conditions, like right now in Eastern Kentucky, Southern & Central West Virginia, or Southeast Ohio, you may start seeing the impacts in and around your home.
Unfortunately, without much rain, the moisture level in the soil supporting your home is thrown off, and can cause your home to shift. Here's exactly what that means for you.
Your Foundation is Losing Support from the Ground Up
When soil is moist, it's firm and capable of supporting your home evenly by holding its shape. But as it dries up, it shrinks, pulls away, and leaves gaps that your home can settle into.
At ground level or below, that looks like foundation cracks in your crawl space or basement. It can present as wall cracks in any room or drywall, and sticking windows or doors. Outside, you may see a sunken, uneven, cracked driveway or sidewalk. Nothing is off limits when the soil shrinks.
Surprise, surprise: These soil gaps can even lead to water intrusion or leaks once it starts raining again, as water suddenly begins to fill those holes.
If you notice these but don't address them, over time they'll lead to long-term structural issues and take everything connected to your foundation down with it—your yard, your plumbing, and even increase your energy bills! Not something we need in the tri-state.