Your Home’s Foundation and Drought Conditions


Do you find yourself in extreme drought conditions?


Understanding what drought conditions can do to your foundation starts with understanding your regions  soil conditions.


The most common soil in Cental Ohio is clay. Other soil types are sandy soils, miamian soils well suited for agriculture, muck or black soil best suited for growing vegetables, and limestone bedrock. 


Clay soil is nearly always the reason for bowing walls and settlement of your home. Clay is an expansive soil, meaning when it gets wet or holds water it will expand putting pressure on the exterior of your foundation walls.


The opposite is also true during dry periods when it will shrink and let pressure off the walls. This effect compares to a pushing and shoving match and over the years your foundation loses the fight causing deflection —any type of inward movement such as bowing and tipping.


In extreme drought conditions, settlement tends to occurs. Settlement of a home is when your foundation footer will sink and or crack causing a downward movement of the walls. 


The classic signs of settlement is cracks of drywall near doors and windows. This causes out of square, not working correctly. Stair step cracking in foundation walls may appear. This happens when the soil can no longer hold the weight load of the home. This tends to happen more often during extreme drought when the soil shrinks the most. 


Settlement occurs more often in crawlspace foundations and slab homes because the footers are at a more shallow depth than full basement but no home is immune to settlement.


Maintaining ideal soil conditions is key. What can be done for maintenance during drought periods? Monitor your home’s foundation seasonally for cracks and movement in the walls. If you see new cracks, larger than hairline, call a pro to have them measured and benchmarked so you can compare the numbers in the future, or fix them before they get worse. 


For homes with adjustable wall supports installed like adjustable steel beams or wall anchors, drought conditions are the best time to attempt to straighten bowed walls. This is when there is the least pressure is on the walls and your best chance at straightening a previously repaired bowed wall with these systems installed. 


If you do suspect settlement problems, a reputable foundation contractor personally with the operations of the company with experience installing piers, the solution for settlement. 


When searching for foundation repair companies and search for information on foundation maintenance, hundreds of articles on waterproofing your home. Your sump pump system matters and footer drains will protect your home from flooding. 


Snake oil salesman will tell you that painting your walls with “waterproofer” will solve your basement water problems. 


Most things are best in moderation, so in drought conditions you might choose to pray for rain, but not too much rain. 


Dave Wirtz contributed to this article and has been in the foundation repair industry for 15 years in and around Columbus, Ohio. He has worked at every level, from installation, management, to business owner. He now owns and operates Spartan Wall Repair out of Ostrander and serves a 50 mile radius. You can reach Dave at 614-705-4830 and email him at dave@spartanwallrepair.com


Connie serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Muskingum, Perry, and Ross counties.


Contact Connie Sadowski, Realtor with questions 614-943-0025 Search for homes ConnieSellsOhio.com


 #1 Team Top 1% of Realtors The Powell Buehler Group Coldwell Banker Realty conniesadowski.com

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