The Effects That Winter Has On Your Homes Basement

When the seasons change, when the weather gets hot or cooler, we all immediately consider new wardrobes, but we rarely think about the impact the weather has on the foundation of our home. Seasonal changes have big impacts on the rest of our home, even though concrete is extremely resistant, it is not immune to the ramifications of changing weather.

When the weather changes, the shift underneath the concrete is significant. Soils, as water enters and/or leaves the area will shift and as the movement happens your concrete will move with it. During the winter water, that is found within the soil, freezes and causes much more expansion than your concrete was accustomed to during the summer. As the water in the soil freezes the expansion causes an upward force of movement that means your concrete is being pushed up and without the proper coating and installation, it will crack.

Your basement concrete undergoes a freeze and thaw cycle, which means, when it is warm the concrete expands and when the concrete is cold it shrinks. This is a never-ending battle between the earth and the foundational concrete, meaning, cracks are inevitable. You cannot leave your basement concrete bare because it will crack.

There are measures that can be taken to ensure that inevitable cracks, like the ones caused by the freeze-thaw-cycle, are lessened, like proper joints in the concrete and professionally installed coatings, maybe heating the basement floor. Whatever it is, just remember that your concrete also experiences changes during the seasonal shifts.