Fall is a Good Time to Fix Your Vincennes, IN Foundation

Fall is the perfect time to repair a settling foundation or a bowed wall because the ground no longer being heated and dried out by the hot summer sun, nor is it frozen and taking on winter groundwater. 

Here’s a quick breakdown on why foundations bow or settle:

1. The foundation is sitting in the Active Layer of soil, where seasonal temperature fluctuations and variations in groundwater cause the expansion and contraction of clay particles. 
2. The presence of water will cause the clay particles to expand.  Depending on the amount of clay in the soil, this will lead to soil expansion and increased inward pressure on foundation walls, or the soil with little to no clay will sink dramatically when water is introduced.
3. As the groundwater evaporates in the hot end of summer days, the ground will return to its looser consistency, which can lead to foundation cracking in conjunction with bowing and settling.

Many homeowners begin winterizing their homes and forget about repairing their foundation prior to the winter dormancy.  In fact, late fall and early winter are the ideal time to disturb surrounding landscaping to repair a cracked and settling foundation wall.  The vegetation around the home is producing less chlorophyll, which means that moving them is traumatic than it will be during peak growing season.

Fall is also ideal because the ground is only beginning to freeze, which means you’re not dealing with inches of frost.  Foundation repair products like deep foundation piers, wall anchors, and tiebacks are all installed below frost depth anyhow, but not digging through the frost means installation time is faster.

Finally, fall is a good time to repair your foundation because the holidays are approaching and it’s always more fun to have family over to a stabilized and completed foundation repair product.

If you have questions about foundation repair options, or installation time frames, contact Healthy Spaces today.  We offer FREE, no obligation estimates for all foundation problems.