No matter what it’s made of, your house’s foundation works to ensure stability through all kinds of outdoor conditions. That’s why it’s hard to believe that something as simple as falling leaves or a drizzle can weaken it. By knowing what obstacles your structure can face, you can support your home’s first line of defense from wet and windy weather!
If you don’t want the quality of your home to slip through the cracks, The Crack Guys have your back! We provide affordable foundation protection and repair in Alabama to ensure your house stands strong year-round. Read ahead to learn the effects falling leaves can have on your home.
How Can Leaves Harm Your Foundation?
Even when the weather doesn’t topple trees or flood the basement, it can still affect your household’s structural integrity. Read on to learn how beautiful falling leaves can cause some not-so-pretty damage.
Clogged Gutters
Even though water runs through them, your gutters can still get pretty dirty. Leaves may land inside of them and clump up when they get wet. When other plant debris and bird nests are in your gutters, you’ll have a series of obstacles blocking their natural flow.
When your gutters aren’t cleared out, water can fall over the sides instead of traveling down the pipes. This can cause puddles to form near your home, which may be a bigger problem than it looks. Water can seep into existing cracks in your home’s structure, causing it to weaken.
Rot, Mold And Mildew, Oh My!
Though you may not notice it at first, runoff from clogged gutters can cause foundation water damage. Mold and mildew accumulate in damp places over time, slowly weakening your home’s cleanliness and stability.
Wooden foundations and support beams are especially susceptible to rot, which may cause them to weaken and fall apart. Overspilling water can also rot the fascia, which can cause the entire gutter system to collapse. This structural damage can make a stable home lose its shape.
Softens The Ground
When water or wet leaves accumulate where they aren’t supposed to, the dirt around your house is affected. If the ground receives too much water, it can cause the soil that holds up your home to sink or swell. This may result in some of these side effects:
- Cracks in the structure
- Shifting or tilting
- Uneven floors
Despite walls and windows, the conditions outdoors can affect your indoor life over time! Our dependable structural repairs can prevent these issues from worsening over time.
Cracks In Your Foundation
While a single crack in your structure may seem like no big deal, it can sprout into a much bigger problem. If your gutters aren’t properly maintained and plant debris isn’t raked up, small cracks can become deep enough to cause serious structural damage.
How Can I Protect My Gutters?
Wet weather is an annual issue that may be scary to face. Luckily, simple maintenance tasks can provide water damage prevention year-round! Here are a few steps you can take to make sure rain, falling leaves and plant debris don’t harm your gutter system:
- Clean your gutters: Regularly removing debris from your pipes prevents water from pooling where you don’t want it.
- Install downspouts: If your gutters are empty near your foundation, you can install gutter extensions or downspouts that move water away from your home.
- Check for leakage: Patching up leaks can stop cracks from forming.
- Strategize your landscaping: Leave a gap between your house and its landscaping to prevent debris from getting trapped next to your foundation.
Monitoring your foundation through good and bad weather will ensure your house stays high and dry during cold and windy months!
The Crack Guys Are The Go-To Foundation Company In Alabama!
For expert structural restoration and repair, The Crack Guys are the guys for the job! Our free estimates and transparency provide smooth service for pesky structural problems. Contact our team now for quality care and repair services!
