Extreme temperatures can damage home foundations; Local repair company offers prevention advice

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Foundation issues are caused by compounded problems. Extreme heat and poor irrigation can lead to costly consequences.

KSN visited a project site with a foundation repair company. They offered advice on what to look for and how to prevent any potential issues.

In dry spells, concrete can crack like dirt in the dry summer sun, which has been keeping people like Camden Roach, head of operations at IWP Foundation Repair , especially busy.

“When we go through these dry spells, that is when you see the foundation settle because that soil is contracting, causing that footing to drop more,” Roach said.

Home repairs for foundation issues can run into the thousands and the warnings can be subtle, according to foreman at the site Preston Bratton.

“[A] key sign is going to be cracks … The cracks are just going to get worse. They’re just going to get bigger. More are going to show up,” Bratton said.

KSN spoke with one homeowner who said she had just begun to notice cracks in her yard that unsettled her air conditioner.

“It’s that constant movement, up and down, of what the foundation is doing. If you don’t fix it or permanently stabilize it, it will continue,” Roach said.

Early signs you may want to look for include dirt pulling away from the concrete of your foundation or off-set door frames.

“One of the best things you can do at preventative maintenance, is they say you’re supposed water your home like you would your flowers,” Roach said.

According to Roach, if early warnings are left unchecked, seemingly small problems can snowball into something more serious and much more costly.

When conditions are not so dry, the best thing a homeowner can do to prevent settling issues is to make sure water does not seep into your foundation. You can do that by clearing your gutters and angling your downspouts away from the home.

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