Keeping Your Basement High and Dry This Winter
Severe winter weather in the GTA often means danger for homes and structures, especially for older structures. As time passes, the soil around your home moves and changes composition, roots grow into areas they were not previously present, and years of cold weather take their toll on the structure of unprepared homes.
Before the winter season begins, you should have a home inspector or a foundation repair and basement waterproofing specialist walk the house and alert you to any potential foundation or structural danger that could be coming once the snow melts in the spring. If you didn’t, here are some things to keep an eye on in your home during the winter.
Foundation Cracks
If you find any cracks in your foundation wall you are potentially seeing a structural danger that could turn into a much larger issue. The first thing you should do when you see a crack is mark in chalk on the wall where its borders are. This will help you tell if it gets any larger while you’re waiting for service or consultation. Then, you should call a qualified professional to help you repair it. Even in winter, all forms of basement foundation repair and basemet waterproofing work can be done.
Foundation Leaks
Water coming into your basement, even a little bit in the walls or floor is a sign of a much larger issue. When you witness this, call a professional immediately to have this leak fixed – don’t wait until spring! Leaks tend to go from bad to worse pretty fast (especially in the winter) and by the spring melt you may have a flood on your hands!
Bowing/Bending Walls
If your walls are bowing or bending in the basement that is a potential sign that pressure has increased around your structure and is now endangering the integrity of the foundation and before this gets too bad you should call a professional. Some bowing and bending walls are an early sign of collapse and are not to be taken lightly and some local professionals are extremely well versed in the applicable repair techniques. Carbon fiber, structural foundation repair or rebuild and underpinning can help to prevent further movement anytime of the year.
If you notice any of these warning signs in your basement, reach out to a professional as these repairs can indeed be completed in the winter by the proper teams. Leaving them until Spring may cause additional damage to your structure!
