What is Causing Your Foundation Cracks?

If you have noticed any cracks in your foundation, whether it was during your annual maintenance or after a weather event, you should get it repaired immediately. If you have experienced foundation cracks in the past or are just looking to prevent foundation cracks at your home, here are some of the primary causes so that you can take steps to prevent foundation cracks.

Too Much Moisture Around Your Home

Check the soil around your foundation to see if it is full of too much moisture. Very moist soil gains volume and swells, which can put a lot of pressure on your home’s foundation and cause a crack. Moisture can come from a variety of places, including plumbing leaks, high levels of surface water, or roof runoff. Make sure that your yard has proper drainage so that rainwater doesn’t accumulate in pools or puddles around your foundation. Your roof should also be in top shape to avoid any roof runoff being deposited right near your home’s foundation.

Too Little Moisture Around Your Home

Just like too much moisture is a bad thing, too little moisture is a bad thing as well. If drought conditions exist where your home is, the soil around your foundation might be shrinking and putting pressure on the foundation as a result. Any high amount of pressure placed on your foundation can lead to a crack.

Large Variances in Moisture Content Around Your Home

If you haven’t guessed yet, the moisture content of the soil around your home is one of the biggest factors when it comes to foundation cracks. If the soil around your home’s foundation varies wildly in moisture content, it can affect your house’s structure. Due to the two different amounts of pressure on your home’s foundation, it may settle and heave differently than if the house was built on a more consistent moisture level. The heaving and settling will occur with the change of the seasons and the change in temperature from cold to warm and back. If this is a problem at your home, make sure to pay extra attention to signs of foundation cracking as the seasons change.

We Can Help Keep Your Foundation Safe

If you are ready to get a professional to take care of your residential or commercial foundation needs, contact All Aspects Waterproofing, a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company with over 30 years of experience in the Washington, DC./Maryland/Virginia area. Contact us online or by calling 1-866-999-3110 or 301-766-4420.  To see what we’re up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Houzz.