While summer can often go hand in hand with a laid-back lifestyle, there are some aspects of extremely hot weather than can have an impact on your home. There are several parts of your house that can sustain damage when temperatures and conditions get too hot and dry. Not only are there areas on the exterior of your home that can be affected, but there are also areas inside that don’t handle the heat well either. Dallas Foundation Repair is here to talk about how hot summer weather can damage your home inside and out when you aren’t careful.
Can Extreme Heat Cause Concrete Foundation Cracking?
The foundation of your home is essential to the structural integrity of it. The hot summer weather can cause damage because of the dryness that is also present. The foundation of your home is supported by the soil that surrounds it. As the hot weather continues on, the ground gets hotter and drier as well. As the moisture in the soil starts to evaporate, the soil shrinks and doesn’t provide that stabilizing support that is needed for your foundation to stay intact. One of the best ways to avoid this is to have a sprinkler system installed that helps to keep moisture in the soil around your home. You should also make sure there aren’t any large trees next to your home that are sucking up the moisture out of the soil as they grow. You may have heard of thermal cracking. Thermal cracking occurs due to excessive temperature differences within a concrete structure or its surroundings. Although thermal cracking often occurs at an early age, there are similar temperature-related concrete cracking phenomena that could happen later. Excessive cracking or insufficient strength may not be much apparent until almost a year after the foundation is poured.
How Does Summer Heat Affect Your Roof?
While many people don’t think about their roof until there is a problem with it, it is important to know that hot summer weather can cause damage to your roof as well. You need to make sure your attic has proper ventilation so that humidity doesn’t start to accumulate under your roof and cause your shingles to deteriorate rapidly. The harmful UV rays from the sun can also cause damage to your roof as well.
What Temperature Will Damage Hardwood Floors?
If you have hardwood flooring in your home, you need to consider how the hot and humid weather during the summer can affect them. If there are high levels of humidity, that humidity will be absorbed into your floorboards and can cause buckling. This will give you an uneven surface to walk on. Most of the time, the moisture will eventually leave and your floorboards will lay back down, but there are times where the damage is permanent. The safe temperature range for hardwood floors is typically between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Any prolonged exposure to temperatures greater or less than this window can result in floor damage.
Can Hot Weather Affect Plumbing
If the pipes that make up your plumbing system aren’t sealed properly, you can experience leaking and bursting during the summer as your water usage is likely much higher than other times throughout the year. Have the plumbing in your home inspected to make sure you don’t run the risk of this occurring.
Slab Foundation Repair in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Plano, Richardson, Grapevine, Garland, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, Arlington & Greater Dallas, Texas
If you are seeing signs of foundation trouble this summer, you can call on the pros at Dallas Foundation Repair to come inspect your slab foundation and fix anything that could be going wrong with it. Call us today!
