When most people think of Colorado Springs, they picture great weather year-round. It might sound impossible for this city to deal with drought when you get consistent rain and snow. Unfortunately, even an area that holds plenty of water can face droughts from time to time. Abnormally dry seasons can be devastating to a home that is so used to seeing rains and snow.
Drought can affect your clay soil in several different ways. The most obvious is the drying effect it can have on the soil. Clay tends to retain water for quite a long time. This is because it is quite compact and water moves much slower through it as a result. Without any water moving through it, however, it is very easy for this soil to dry up and shrink. This can create gaps all around the soil that will not provide even support for your foundation. This can then cause the foundation to shift, settle, or crack. This damage will likely affect other systems and structures around your home as well. Your concrete is one such structure. Indeed, foundation damage tends to spread out to affect the surrounding concrete slabs and vice versa.
When this shrunken soil does start to absorb moisture again, then it can swell and expand outward at an alarming rate. This can then cause your foundation to crack or even push up against your home. Overall, drought can prove to be detrimental to your home’s overall health. The foundation experts at Complete Basement Systems can implement tough, drought-resistant repairs!