Although a home foundation is designed to support a large amount of weight, it can become damaged over the years. A common cause for foundation damage is for the soil it is situated in to expand when it rains. As the soil expands, it leads to an excessive amount of pressure being placed on the foundation that causes cracks to develop in the long run. when cracks develop, it makes it easy for the water from saturated soil to creep through, entering your basement or the ground level of your house. A good sign that your home foundation has cracks that allows water to seep through is the presence of moisture in your house, which means that you might need to invest in waterproofing.
How Soil Beneath the Foundation Gets Saturated
It might seem as though it is difficult for rainwater to reach the soil that is beneath the foundation of your house. However, the soil in that area is actually the easiest to become saturated after it has rained outside. The reason why is because soil beneath a foundation isn't as solid as other areas of your property due to it being disturbed during the process of preparing the ground to lay down the foundation. Basically, the problem is known as the clay bowl effect, and you must take steps to protect your foundation against it. Even if your foundation has been in place for a long time, the clay bowl effect can still cause problems if waterproofing isn't done.
Protecting Foundation Soil from Excessive Water Exposure
In order to prevent the clay bowl effect, it is important to prevent the soil beneath your foundation from becoming overly saturated. A waterproofing contractor can be helpful in such a case by installing a water drainage system along the perimeter of your house. The drainage system can route rainwater in a direction other than beneath the foundation. By routing the water away, it prevents soil from producing pressure and damaging the foundation.
Getting Rid of Cracks That Can Cause Problems
Waterproofing your home should involve getting rid of cracks, whether they be in the walls or foundation. A contractor can usually use products to seal the cracks up. However, if the cracks are too large, other techniques might need to be used to waterproof your house. Speak to a contractor to find out what shape your foundation is in and what can be done to waterproof your home.
Share24 September 2020
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