Extreme cold weather can be hard on both you and your home. eieihome spoke to John MacRae of G J MacRae Foundation Repair about what extreme cold weather can do to your home.
“If you have had problems in the past with poor downspout drainage or unmaintained eaves trough spill over, then the extreme cold will freeze the soil that is up against your foundation wall; much deeper than it has in other years,” says John MacRae. This can cause vertical cracking in your poured concrete and block foundation walls.
Further, with mature properties or properties built with block foundations, this frigid weather can be responsible for horizontal cracking resulting in displacement of the block wall known as buckling. This is as bad as it sounds. It means you now have structural issues with your home.
“As the weather gets warmer and returns to normal winter temperatures, call in your maintenance man or DIY guy and remove as much of the snow build up as possible that is against your exterior basement wall; ideally place the snow about three feet away,” says John MacRae.
By removing that pile of snow, you are allowing the warm spring temperatures to melt that area of concern slowly, avoiding the spring expansion of frozen earth that lies against your foundation wall below grade. If there is a particular area of your basement that you are concerned about move all valuables you have stored inside away. A small Shop Vac will make short work of any water seeping in.
Your home is your biggest asset. Come spring if you have water in your basement then you’ll need to get to work and start talking to an experienced foundation repair company.
Do you have any foundation repair questions? Contact G J MacRae in Mississauga at 905 824 2557 and find out how you can get your home ready for the spring thaw. It may not seem like it, but it is coming!
