It is easy for moisture to negatively impact your foundation, more so than the average Philadelphia homeowner might think. For instance, all the water from heavy rain and melted snow will all absorb into the surrounding soil. However, the soil is only capable of holding so much water weight before it either washes away or grows extremely heavy. This then can create an immense pressure against your foundation, causing it to shift away from this weight or even crack altogether.
This phenomenon is commonly referred to as hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure can also take another form as well. Water can easily become trapped in the concrete foundation’s pores. When winter comes and that trapped water freezes, the expanding ice then can lead to the foundation cracking apart from within.
You will also need to deal with a common construction mistake known as the clay bowl effect creating settling issues as well. Basically, contractors will dig a large hole where they plan to lay down the foundation (and either a basement or crawl space) when they first build a home. Once these components are installed, there is typically a little space left around the perimeter that the contractors will then backfill in with the soil they dug up. Of course, it is now much looser than it once was, and Philadelphia’s sandy-loam soil is already quite loose. The soil creates a bowl of sorts around the foundation that can be easily washed out during a huge storm or when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Without this crucial support, your foundation will start to shift or settle into the remaining soil and may even crack apart. BQ Basements & Concrete can waterproof your foundation to ensure that this does not happen.