How the Seasons Can Necessitate Eventual Foundation Repair

Feb 28, 2014

Ah, the changing seasons!  Most people in Ontario love to watch as spring morphs into summer, then to autumn.  However, all those seasonal changes can wreak havoc on a building’s foundation.  In this article, we’ll look at the reasons that Mother Nature is often the culprit behind foundation repair.

First, it’s important to imagine a plastic bottle of water with its cap screwed on tight.  If you place that bottle of water into the freezer, you’ll notice that it starts to swell up.  This is because frozen H2O takes up more room than liquid H2O.  As the molecules expand, they push at the sides of the water bottle.  (Yes, this is a bit of a science lesson, but it’s a short one – we promise!)

If you take the water bottle out of the freezer and allow it to thaw, you’ll discover that it goes back to its shape, at least somewhat.  However, a little bit of damage to the integrity of the container has already started to take place.  This means that if we repeated the freeze/thaw cycle many times, the bottle would eventually crack or break open.

In a nutshell, this is what happens to every property’s foundation.  Eventually, it will require foundation repair of some kind.  It doesn’t mean that the foundation was incorrectly poured, or that the house or building was badly constructed; the older a property, the more likely it is to need a little TLC eventually.  (Of course, if it’s a new build and you have foundation repair necessities, it may be worth going back to the contractor to see if you can recoup any of your costs.  Sometimes, shoddy workmanship does occur.)

There’s nothing better than living in a location where the seasons are so incredibly vibrant.  You just have to make sure that your home or office is taken care of on the inside and out, because all those hot/cold changes will have a long-term effect.

If you feel that you may be in need of foundation repair for your property, and you live in Ontario, please contact the Crack Doctor today.

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