North Texas isn’t really known for being a place that gets cold. In fact, people often picture dry, cracked ground sprinkled with cacti and cattle. However, Texas residents know that from time to time the temperature drops significantly. North Texas property owners are particularly aware of this issue. When things get cold too quickly, they begin to break and a home’s foundation, pipes, and an assortment of other things is no exception to that. At Dalrock Foundation Repair, we see this happen every winter and we’re here to offer advice on how to keep your home safe from the cold weather.
Foundation Cracks
It doesn’t happen too often in Texas, but when the ground freezes it can do serious damage to a home or business’ foundation. Frozen soil can cause previously insignificant foundation cracks to become larger due to the water in the soil expanding. Frost heave as it is commonly known as, pushes against the foundation of a structure forcing it to expand and crack to accommodate the pressure. In even colder temperatures, the ground well below the surface can freeze and cause new cracks in the foundation of a home or even in basement floors.
Preventing slab foundation cracks is difficult to do, so the best thing for you and your home is to call an expert to evaluate your home for problem areas and fix what needs to be fixed. It’s best financially to fix a small problem before it gets bigger and more costly.
Freezing Pipes
Water left sitting in pipes will freeze and expand when temperatures drop. This happens to pipes outside your home and also interior pipes. Not only can pipes freeze, they can also burst if the frozen water expands too much and too quickly. Why is this a problem for your home? Because when the pipes burst, water damage occurs and can damage your foundation.
To prevent your pipes from freezing, turn on your faucets and let them drip slowly to keep water continuously flowing through them. If your pipes are in the interior of your home, make sure they are well insulated to keep the outside cold from getting to them.
House Settling
With each season, brings different environmental changes to your region and therefore, your home. During the winter, your home cracks and makes strange noises as it adjusts to the temperature change. While this is normal and to be expected, sometimes the strange noises the house makes can spell trouble for you.
If you notice cracks in your walls or on the exterior of your home, you need to have a professional check it out before the get bigger. To prevent such cracks from occurring, try keeping the interior of your house at the same temperature during the day and night to reduce the amount of adjustments the house has to make throughout the day.
Let Dalrock Foundation Repair Help
Do you have existing cracks in your foundation? Do you need your home inspected before colder temperatures in North Texas set in? Our foundation repair experts can come out to your property to assess any damage and take preventative measures to protect your home from the elements. Contact us today to learn more!