The Deep Freeze and It's Effects On Your Home
The deep freeze has set in to much of our coverage area in Pennsylvania. Our area is experiencing blustery wind, freezing temperatures, rain and snowfall. Temperatures, along with ground water could cause substantial issues to a home's foundation. If your home is built above a crawl space, your home's pipes are more than likely located beneath the floors. In brutally cold temperatures, your pipes could burst. This could result in extensive damage, and sky-rocketed repair bills.
If your home is built on a slab foundation or above a basement; your concrete is absorbing water because it is porous. When water freezes, it expands and this causes concrete to break and crack. In the spring when the ground begins to thaw, water will find it's way through the cracks and breakages in the concrete. Frozen ground is also one of the main causes of basement wall movement.
Other causes of wall movement, are weight of soil and water weight of soil. When all of the elements combine, basement walls will push forward and therefore, make foundation walls unstable. There are some signs to look for. If you own a home with a crawl space, you should take note of cold floors in your home. If this issue progresses, homeowners will notice faucets may begin to not function properly and then not at all. Usually, this indicates that your lines are frozen and the frozen pipe is near the main water line.
If you own a home with a basement or a slab foundation, you should look for both interior and exterior cracks. These cracks can vary in size and also direction. Horizontal and vertical cracks will let the professional know what type of wall failure is occurring and indicate why the issue is happening. It is best to have the foundation specialists at Liberty Basement Systems review the issue and provide a free inspection and estimate.
Preparing your home for the winter deep freeze is easy with some precautionary steps. Homeowners should check plumbing for any existing leaks, replace filters on HVAC systems, seal rim joist around basements, and replace thermostats with smart-schedule thermostats. As always, should water find it's way in to your space or a foundation issue arise the professionals at Liberty Basement Systems are here to assist and provide permanent solutions for your home.