Alabama and other southern states have seen a lot of severe weather recently. Between hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the tornado that ripped through northwest Alabama at the end of August and beginning of September, there has been a lot of potential for damage in Alabama homes. One of the biggest recent concerns for many Alabama homeowners and business owners has been storm flooding. The rains brought on by Hurricane Harvey in Texas left many Alabama homes with water problems.
Three EF2 tornadoes that swept through the central Alabama area a few weeks ago caused several large trees to splinter and fall down, left houses without shingles and destroyed a mobile home completely.
There was also significant flooding in southwest Alabama. Areas near Mobile county and Orange Beach, AL received the most rain and suffered substantial flash flooding in some areas, central and northern Alabama still saw the effects of Harvey. Along with the tornadoes that devastated parts of central Alabama, there was some mild rain in the Birmingham area from August 30-31.
Huntsville also saw some rain, and parts of Tennessee and Kentucky suffered from storm flooding due to Hurricane Harvey rains as well.
Why Flooding is an Issue for Your Alabama Home or Business
Wet or damp basements already affect 60% of homes. That percentage only increases during heavy rains and severe weather conditions. This is a problem because wet and damp basements, crawlspaces, and structures are the perfect spots for a mold problem to develop. Mold growth is a dangerous issue as it can damage the structural integrity of your home or business and cause illness and health problems for you and your family.
Even a small amount of rain can be problematic if your home or commercial structure is not properly prepared. If you do not have an adequate system for surface drainage, water might be allowed to collect and pool right around your foundation. This water can then seep into your home or business through the porous concrete of your foundation, causing water issues inside.
Lack of exterior waterproofing to prevent groundwater from seeping inside can also cause even small amounts of rain to result in water seepage. If water does get inside your home, it is best to have an interior drainage system in place to reroute it and prevent it from causing issues like high humidity or mold growth. If you do not have a properly functioning interior waterproofing system, water will form puddles and may result in mold or mildew growth.
Why Tornado Damage is an Issue for Your Alabama Home or Business
Beyond obvious damage like broken windows and missing shingles, tornadoes can cause serious structural problems for your home. If a tornado is strong enough and hits your home head-on, it might rip the entire home off of the foundation or tear one or more walls away from the home. Other times, the tornado damage in your home will be less severe.
However, it is important to thoroughly examine your home for signs of damage. Even shingles that have not been totally ripped off of your home can be damaged by winds, leaving your home susceptible to leakage. Walls might be slightly pulled away from the home, leaving gaps and spaces open. Brick and masonry, as well as other parts of the home, might be damaged by flying debris. If the siding is pulled away from your home due to a tornado, water might leak underneath and pool on the foundation, wearing away at the concrete. Foundations might even suffer cracks during tornadoes if steel poles set in them to support the structure twist and put stress on the concrete. Pier and beam foundations are especially likely to see damage during a tornado, as the structural frame and floor are less anchored and are more likely to shift off of the foundation.
Hurricane Harvey Damage Solutions from Affordable Foundation and Home Repair
Affordable Foundation and Home Repair offers solutions to repair damage from Hurricane Harvey and other storms in Alabama homes. These solutions can also help prevent damage to your structure in the event of future storms. Our options for storm damage repair and prevention include:
- Surface Drainage: Our team prevents water from collecting around your home when it rains with surface drainage techniques.
- Exterior Waterproofing: We can install a waterproof membrane with exterior waterproofing to keep groundwater from seeping into your home.
- Interior Waterproofing: Our experts offer sump pump system installation to reroute water that makes its way into your basement.
- Crawlspace Encapsulation: With this solution, we install a vapor barrier in the crawlspace to seal out moisture and prevent mold growth.
- Mold Remediation: We get rid of dangerous mold spores by cleaning your crawlspace or basement with a method known as mold soda blasting.
- Foundation Repair: We offer installation of helical piers as well as polyjacking to lift sinking foundations and fix foundation cracks.
We also offer a range of solutions to repair beams and posts in crawlspaces and fix cracks in concrete slabs or other areas of your structure. If you live in the central or northern Alabama areas and are worried about damage from Hurricane Harvey storm flooding, tornadoes, or any other storm, call us today.
