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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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.
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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.
Matt has done a great job coordinating the projects we have asked KC Waterproofing to do for our company. The Bayer Company seems pleased with the results.
Mario from KC Water Proofing has excellent customer service and he was on time, timely and educated me as the customer for a good understanding of what he fixed on our home. So thankful for Mario!
Had an awesome experience! They installed carbon fiber straps in my basement on 2 walls, installed the proper drainage, new basement windows, cleaned up crawl space and installed a new sump pump—did an amazing job. ABOVE & BEYOND! Super professional, friendly, and fast. Everything was explained clearly, no surprises, and they left the place spotless. We’ve had some rain since and not a single drop inside. Highly recommend if you need basement waterproofing, foundation repair or a sump pump done right!
Mario came out to “service” the sump pump that was installed a couple years ago. Mario was very knowledgeable and courteous.
KC Waterproofing needs to keep an employee like Mario because of these 2 traits.
Prompt, efficient and most importantly effective! The entire team worked with me on a very tight deadline and made it happen! Highly recommend.
Mario did a fantastic job.