soil shrinkage can cause foundation issues in Kansas City
August 4, 2021

The hottest, driest, pretty much worst part of summer has officially arrived. The heat settling in and ticking away at triple digits here in Kansas City means a lot of things for your home.

It’s easy to be the most concerned about your lawn, but the truth is, brown grass isn’t as big of a deal as what is happening just below the surface.

When the weather gets hot and dry like this, the moisture begins to evaporate, not just out of the ground, but also out of substances like concrete and wood.

How Does It Affect My Home?

The heat and lack of moisture in the ground cause soil to shrink. Sometimes you can see it along the border of your home. The dirt will dry, harden, and separate from the foundation of your house. On the surface, this may seem normal and be more of an eyesore than a legitimate issue.

However, under your feet, the constant heat is pulling moisture from deeper and deeper down. The drier the soil, the more it shrinks. That means the soil that was once supporting the foundation of your home is no longer doing so.

soil shrinkage can cause foundation issues in Kansas City

Foundation Damage from Heat

The worst part of soil shrinkage and the steady decline of moisture is that it doesn’t happen evenly. There are several factors, such as the amount of sun and the grading of the home’s lot, that impact how quickly moisture is evaporated from the ground.

Very rarely is a lot graded to drain toward a home – that’s how basements flood. The yard is sloped to drain moisture away from the home for most people. Which causes the soil closest to your home to dry first and lower portions of the yard where the water drains to dry last.

When the soil around and under the foundation is dry, your home is no longer supported. It then starts to sink in search of support. Because the ground doesn’t dry evenly, that linkage doesn’t happen evenly. Corners and sides of your home will sink faster than others leaving your home uneven and potentially facing severe foundation issues.

How to Protect Your Foundation

Consider keeping your lawn well-watered. That can be hard this time of year, especially with temperatures working against you. It can also be a bit of a chore without a sprinkler system, but preventing the soil surrounding your home from growing too dry is a great first step.

Even with this precautionary measure, it is extremely important to keep an eye on your home’s foundation. As we discussed, the ground does not dry evenly. Unfortunately, even the precautionary work of watering the soil may not keep parts of your soil from drying out too much over time.

Regularly look at the cement at the base of your home. Look for cracks in the cement, unusual lifts in your grass, and any issues with your patios or driveway. These can all indicate a bigger problem under the surface.

Here at KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, we’re used to the heat and the types of homes built in this area. That makes us uniquely equipped to help you solve your toughest challenges with your foundation.

It may feel overwhelming, but our team can help. If you have any concerns, schedule a consultation with a member of our team.

And in the meantime, do your best to stay cool!

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Satisfied Customer Reviews

He checked everything and was very nice. No problem with the work that was done last winter. Thank you
Mario came and re-checked our foundation numbers from previous piering. He was very knowledgeable, reassuring, and professional. He made sure we got our results quickly and was very responsive to communication. I appreciate Mario’s effort!
KC Waterproofing is a highly professional organization. Their staff is friendly and helpful. Not surprising they’ve been in business for many years.
Hal was professional, courteous, and efficient. When he arrived he said what he planned on doing, how long it would take, and was able to evaluate my basement in an hour, providing several good options for waterproofing, with details on the costs and benefits of each. I highly recommend KC Waterproofing when you look for options.
We called about a crack in the basement wall that would leak after heavy rains. Mario came out and went above and beyond on the repair to where I’ve got complete piece of mind knowing I won’t have any further issues with leaks.
Pleasant experience. Competent and nice crew. I’ll definitely use their services again for any foundation needs
Mario was very helpful on his visit to my home. I was concerned about one of the anchors that was installed this summer. He assured me that all was intact and doing like it is supposed to be doing. Thank you Mario!
Mario and Angel did an outstanding job on my outside drainage problem. Mario also does a great job on keeping my sump pump operating.
Professional organization and representative
Great all around service. Very informative consultation with Hal. Keith and his team were efficient and very clean when installing a new sump pump system. Highly recommend this company.