Better Weather is Coming... Well, Sort Of
Does the extreme cold we have been facing have you excited for the mini winter warm-up coming this weekend? Maybe you still remember last February when we had that unseasonably warm weather. Unfortunately, it likely won’t get as warm this time, but it might get just as rainy. Here is what you can expect from mother nature and a few guiding steps to help you handle it.
This weekend many of us in Michigan will be experiencing weather temperatures above freezing. What does this mean? All of that snow around your house is going to begin melting. This might be exciting for you, but for your home its likely another story. All of this melting snow can create saturated soil around your home. When this happens the soil simply cannot hold anymore water. This water can then start to create hydrostatic pressure (aka water pressure) and begin pushing against the foundation walls of your home.
Water weighs slightly more than 60lbs. per cubic foot. So, if the soil around your basement becomes saturated with water, there could be tens of thousands of pounds of hydrostatic pressure pushing against your foundation. This water can then force its way into your crawl space or basement. When our mini winter heat wave comes to an end the highly saturated ground will begin freezing and expanding; leaving you vulnerable to foundation wall bowing and cracks.
Helpful Steps You Can Take
Clear those gutters! Making sure your gutters are cleared of leaves and other debris is a great place to start. Doing so will ensure that your gutters don’t become clogged and overflow; creating additional puddles of water near your home’s foundation.
Get the water far away! Directing the water far enough away from your home is the key. This can be effectively achieved through gutter downspouts and extension products. Redirecting the water far enough away from your home ensures that it will be less likely to flow back near your home; causing future concerns.
Push plowed snow away! Pushing plowed snowbanks away from your home will ensure that there are less puddles of melted snow near the home’s foundation. Fewer water puddles near your home boils down to potentially fewer water concerns for you.
When You Should Call Us
If during or after these weather extremes you experience water leaking into your crawl space or basement; or your foundation walls beginning to buckle or bow, there is cause for concern. There’s no reason to face these scary issues alone - we can help. Please give us a call to schedule an appointment for a free estimate. Enjoy this brief weather warm-up and please prepare yourself and your home for the unpredictable weather ahead.
How We Can Help
We offer products that catch water as it enters your basement or crawl space and direct it to a sump pump for removal from your home. Also, we offer solutions that straighten bowing or cracked walls by reversing the forces of nature. Which allows your foundation walls to return to their original position.
At your free inspection, your system design specialist will create a solution that's right for your home. We'll solve the problems occurring right now, and make sure they never happen again. Next time we have a winter heat wave? No sweat - you're protected.
