You generally can use the size of the cracks in basement walls to determine if you need to hire a contractor to repair the foundation or basement.
Timberborn drought crack#
“Remember that if the crack occurred due to soil shrinkage, the soil will expand when it gets wet,” Hellevang says. Wait to repair wall and ceiling cracks until the soil moisture returns to normal. Frequently, adding moisture will cause the soil to expand, bringing the structure into alignment and eliminating binding problems with doors and windows. If doors are sticking or cracks appeared in wall sheeting, apply water to keep the soil from drying further and to rewet it to a normal level. “When the soil gets wet, it will expand, pushing on the basement wall, possibly with enough pressure to crack the wall.” “Do not fill the crack next to the basement wall with soil,” Hellevang advises. It likely will not migrate enough to close the gap near the surface, but it will wet the soil at greater depths and minimize the potential for soil shrinkage that may affect the structure. However, water added to the soil even 3 feet from the wall will migrate through the soil profile and wet the soil adjacent to the basement wall near the footing. Landscape fabric is porous, so it will permit the slow water application, but plastic will prevent water from soaking into the soil next to the house. Homeowners may place plastic under rock next to the house as part of landscaping or to minimize water infiltration next to the house. Apply the water slowly with rest periods of several hours to permit the water to soak gradually several feet deep into the soil. Apply water 1 to 2 feet away from the wall to wet the soil without getting water into the gap between the soil and house.Ī soaker-type hose (a hose with sprinkler holes facing the ground or facing up with little pressure so the water only wets the soil near the hose) works well. Water the soil evenly around the entire building during extended dry periods if the soil is pulling away from the basement wall. To minimize these problems, he recommends maintaining a relatively constant moisture content in the soil around the house. Soil shrinkage also will occur under concrete slabs such as basement floors or driveways if the support base is clay or other fine-particle soil that swells and shrinks with changes in moisture content, according to Hellevang. Another problem with a gap between the soil and basement wall is that it permits rainwater to run down the wall and may result in water getting into the basement.
Timberborn drought windows#
This movement can cause the structure to shift, resulting in doors and windows that stick because the walls no longer are square, and cracks that appear in wall sheeting such as drywall.ĭifferential foundation movement may stress the concrete enough to cause a crack to form in a basement wall. The foundation’s support is removed as the soil shrinks, which may cause movement in the foundation. In addition, as the water table drops due to an extended drought, subsoil moisture decreases, resulting in soil shrinkage. In time, a gap extending to the base of the wall may allow airflow along the basement wall that will dry the soil under the foundation. This space exposes more of the soil to airflow, which increases the amount of moisture removal. “Sticking doors or windows and cracks in walls or ceilings may be indications that the building is shifting due to soil shrinkage,” says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension Service agricultural engineer.Īs clay or other fine-particle soils dry, they shrink, creating gaps around the basement wall. It also may cause problems for structures such as your house or farm building. Drought doesn’t just affect crops and plants.
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