Why Drought Might Be Damaging Your Home's Foundation

Why Drought Might Be Damaging Your Home’s Foundation

Drought doesn’t just leave lawns brown and gardens brittle — it can also put your home’s foundation at risk.

In many parts of the country, soil contains clay that expands when wet and contracts when dry. During a prolonged dry spell, this soil shrinkage can cause the ground beneath your home to shift, settle or even pull away from the foundation altogether.

Over time, these changes can lead to serious — and expensive — damage.

How Drought Affects Your Foundation

As the moisture content in the soil drops, clay-rich soils shrink. This can leave voids (empty spaces) beneath the foundation that reduce the soil’s ability to bear the structure’s weight. As a result, parts of your home may settle unevenly. This can, in turn, affect your home’s geometry, resulting in signs such as:

· Stair-step cracks in brick or block walls

· Gaps around windows or doors

· Floors that feel uneven

· Doors or windows that stick or won’t close properly

Left unaddressed, these symptoms often worsen as dry conditions persist — or as the soil suddenly rehydrates after rain, shifting even more dramatically.

Why Some Repairs Make Things Worse

Some contractors may attempt to patch over the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause — unstable, drought-affected soil. Temporary fixes like cosmetic crack repair or grout injection may seem helpful, but they won’t stop ongoing movement.

A More Permanent Fix: Foundation Piers

There is a better solution: foundation pier systems engineered to bypass unstable surface soils and transfer your home’s weight to solid bedrock or stable soil.

Whether it’s helical piers for lighter structures or push piers for deeper loads, these systems are designed to stabilize your foundation permanently and prevent further movement. The result is a long-term fix that addresses both the symptom and the cause.

Especially Important in Drought-Prone Regions

If you live in the Southwest, Mountain West or parts of the central U.S., your home may be more vulnerable than you realize. Even a home built to code can suffer damage if the soil beneath it loses moisture over time.

That’s why it’s smart to act early — before cosmetic issues turn into structural problems.

What to Do Next

If you’re seeing signs of foundation movement after a dry season, don’t wait. An experienced contractor in your area can perform a free, comprehensive inspection and help you understand what’s really happening beneath your home.

If you want to learn more about how your home’s foundation may be affected by dry soil conditions, contact an experienced local foundation repair contractor in your area for an inspection before the next dry season begins

 

                               

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