WHAT FOUNDATION ISSUES CAN ARISE IN SPRING?

Spring rains are welcome and refreshing. But they can cause increases in hydrostatic pressure and reveal foundation problems.

When the snow melts and it starts to rain here in Edmonton, it can really come down. Every spring, susceptible foundations can become even more vulnerable to the effects of “hydrostatic pressure.” This is the force that groundwater can exert on the support structures under and around your basement.

Gravity can cause even tiny amounts of water to put a surprising amount of pressure on your foundation and the soil around it. At about sixty pounds per square foot of water volume, this can add up to enough water infiltration to cause serious structural damage over time.

The parts of your house that extend underground may be blocking the natural flow of ground water around your property. Tiny cracks in the strongest foundation can gradually allow enough water to seep in to leave telltale signs like these in your house:

• White or grey salt deposits (efflorescence) on walls or floor.
• Strange smells or excess humidity in your basement.
• The appearance of mold or mildew.
• Sudden insect infestations.
• Walls that bow inward or outward or show signs of cracking.
• Puddles or flooding in basement areas.

These symptoms can quickly appear out of nowhere or get visibly worse during times of heavy storm runoff. This is especially true when your home is on the downhill side of normal groundwater flow.

Water sitting behind basement walls and foundation slabs can work its way into the smallest opening in the foundation surface.

BE SURE TO CHECK IN AND AROUND YOUR FOUNDATION AFTER A STORM

If you see any of the common warning signs mentioned here, it’s important to do a visual evaluation. If you sense something is wrong, you may want to consider bringing in a structural expert from Shield Foundation Repair to help you evaluate the risk and recommend the right repair. The longer you wait, the more damage can occur, risking costly structural damage to your house.

Do you have an anxiety attack every time it rains or a water problem in your basement that stumps you?

Protect what matters most – Call Shield Foundation Repair today at 780 760 4900. We’ll figure it out and fix the problem the right way.