Winter Weather Can Mean Trouble for Your Foundation

Ottawa, Canada, January 18, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Winter is here, which means freezing temperatures, snow and ice. While soil contracts in the summer because of lack of moisture, the soil expands in the winter due to cold temperatures keeping more water and ice in the soil and causing the volume to increase. And when soil expands, it can push a foundation upward, which is also known as heave. Atlantic Basement Systems, a foundation repair company in Ottawa, has some information to share on fixing foundations in the winter or any season.

Heaving can cause cracks and bowing in foundation floors and walls. If these foundation problems are not repaired they can cause more damage to a structure over time. The good news is that skilled professional foundation repair contractors can repair a foundation in any season.

The experts at the national foundation repair network Foundation Supportworks write, "It is possible to excavate soil and install piers in winter conditions so damaged foundations can be repaired. Thanks to special admixtures, heating equipment and insulating materials, it's even possible to pour concrete and make mortar repairs during cold weather."

Foundation problems happen when the soil around your home changes. When a house is built on virgin soil, the soil that is dug out is later refilled around the foundation. This soil is loose and can settle over time. Water can pass through loose soil pretty easily and seep through a basement's walls and floor through joists and cracks. Pressure from the earth can cause foundation walls to crack and bow.

Wall anchor systems are a good alternative to removing and rebuilding basement walls. With an interior wall plate, exterior anchor and a connecting steel wall, pressure is counteracted and the foundation walls are stabilized. Cracks in foundation or basement walls, a tilting chimney, interior wall cracking, and gaps in window or door frames can be solved using push piers. Hydraulically driven steel tubes and rugged steel brackets placed beneath existing footings can transfer a building's weight from unstable soil to load-bearing piers.

Atlantic has repaired thousands of basement leaks and other basement water problems in Nepean, Ottawa, Orleans, Gloucester, Pembroke, Brockville, Kanata, Smiths Falls, Carleton Place, Vanier, and the surrounding areas. They are members of the Basement Systems international network of highly trained "Certified Waterproofing Specialists" and "Crawl Space Environmental Specialists," as well as the nationally known Foundation Supportworks dealer network. For more information or for a free estimate, visit www.atlanticbasementsystems.ca.

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