Essential Foundation Maintenance Tips for Homeowners Returning to Their Show Low Winter Residence

Returning to your winter home in Show Low, AZ

Returning to your winter home in Show Low, AZ, after a long time away? Show Low’s diverse climate, with its mix of snow, rain, and temperature fluctuations, can have a significant impact on your home’s foundation. When you leave a property unoccupied for months, it’s important to be aware of potential foundation issues that may have developed in your absence. Taking proactive steps to assess and maintain the health of your foundation can help ensure the longevity and safety of your home.

Here’s a detailed guide on what you should do when returning to your winter home to ensure that your foundation remains strong and stable.

1. Inspect the Foundation Externally

Your first step should be a thorough external inspection of the foundation. This involves walking around your home and carefully examining the perimeter for any visible signs of damage, such as cracks, bulging, or gaps. The harsh winters in Show Low can cause the soil around your foundation to expand and contract, leading to potential damage over time.

Here are a few key areas to check:

  • Foundation Walls: Look for any horizontal or vertical cracks. Minor hairline cracks may not be a cause for immediate concern, but if you notice larger cracks, particularly those wider than 1/4 inch, this could indicate significant structural issues that need to be addressed.
  • Corners of Your Home: Corners are particularly vulnerable to foundation movement. Shifting soil or settling can cause cracking or separation at the corners. If you notice gaps or cracks, it’s important to monitor them for signs of further movement.
  • Exterior Walls: In Show Low, where the weather can shift between freezing temperatures and warm sunny days, soils around your home can be comprised resulting  exterior cracking. Pay particular attention to any cracks near the stem wall (the portion of the foundation that rises above the ground). Stem wall cracks can signal problems with foundation settling. Larger cracks may indicate serious structural issues that require immediate attention.

Any visible damage to your foundation should be addressed by a professional to prevent further deterioration and potential costly repairs down the road.

2. Check Inside for Movement

After completing the exterior inspection, move indoors to look for signs that your foundation may have shifted or settled while you were away. Often, foundation issues manifest inside the home before they become obvious outside. Here are some common signs to look for:

  • Cracks in Walls and Ceilings: Look for horizontal or vertical cracks, especially around windows, doors, and along ceiling lines. These cracks may indicate that your foundation has shifted or settled. Cracks that appear suddenly or that seem to grow over time should be a red flag.
  • Misaligned Doors and Windows: If doors or windows that previously opened and closed smoothly now seem stuck or difficult to move, this could be a sign of foundation movement. Misaligned frames or gaps between the door/window and the surrounding wall are also indicators of shifting.
  • Uneven or Sloping Floors: Another sign of foundation movement is uneven or sloping floors. If you notice that the floor feels bouncy or uneven as you walk across it, or if there are visible dips or slopes, it may be due to foundation settling or damage.

By catching these warning signs early, you can prevent more severe damage from developing as the winter progresses.

3. Evaluate Drainage and Landscape

Water is one of the most significant factors affecting the stability of your home’s foundation. In Show Low, snowmelt and rain can cause water to accumulate around the base of your home. If this water is not properly directed away from the foundation, it can lead to soil erosion, water pooling, and ultimately, foundation movement or damage.

Here’s what to check:

  • Gutters and Downspouts: Ensure that your gutters are clear of debris and functioning properly. Downspouts should extend at least 5 feet away from the foundation to ensure that water is directed away from the home. Clogged gutters or downspouts can lead to water pooling near the foundation, increasing the risk of damage.
  • Landscape Slope: The soil around your home should be slightly sloped away from the foundation. If the soil has settled or eroded, it could create a path for water to flow toward your foundation instead of away from it. Refill any low spots and ensure the landscape is graded properly to protect your foundation from water damage.
  • Irrigation Systems: If your home has an irrigation system, make sure it is not oversaturating the soil near the foundation. Excess water from irrigation can contribute to soil expansion and contraction, which may lead to foundation settling or cracking.

4. Consider a Professional Inspection

While a visual inspection can help you identify potential issues, it’s always a good idea to have a professional foundation repair expert in Show Low evaluate your home’s foundation if you suspect any foundation issues. A professional foundation specialist can perform a more in-depth inspection, identifying hidden problems that may not be immediately visible during a casual check.

A professional can provide you with a comprehensive report on the condition of your foundation and recommend any necessary repairs to prevent further damage. This is particularly important if your home has experienced significant shifts in weather, such as heavy snowfall followed by rapid snowmelt or freezing temperatures, which can contribute to foundation issues.

Winter Foundation Maintenance Tips for Homeowners in Show Low’s Unique Climate

Maintaining the health of your home’s foundation is crucial, especially in Show Low’s challenging climate. By conducting a thorough external and internal inspection, evaluating your drainage and landscaping, and seeking professional help when necessary, you can prevent foundation problems from worsening over the winter. With these steps, you’ll ensure your winter home in Show Low remains safe, stable, and ready for the season ahead.

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Straight Line Construction

Straight Line Construction has changed a great deal over the last 30+ years in the industry, but one thing remains the same: our commitment to quality and to designing and installing permanent solutions to foundation settlement issues. Beginning with small residential jobs more than 30 years ago when the family-owned company was founded by Tim Davis, Sr., Straight Line Construction today repairs cracking residential and commercial foundations through its Ram Jack product toolkit and designs solutions for large infrastructure and industrial projects. We specialize in matching the right solution to each type of foundation repair issue.

Are you building a new home and want to ensure it has a solid foundation? Or is your house experiencing unwanted sagging or a cracking foundation? Are your walls cracked or your doors and windows sticking? As a bonded, licensed, and fully insured foundation repair company, we are proud to serve Colorado homeowners, builders, and commercial contractors. Our technical certifications enable us to offer the highest quality services and the best American-made, environmentally safe products available for foundation repair. Regardless of how your building is shifting or sinking, we can help you stop it. Our 30 years in the business and our designation as a Ram Jack certified dealer means you get the most technologically savvy solution to fix your foundation.

From the factory to the field, we strive to ensure the quality of our products and workmanship meet the highest industry standards. We work with other vetted professionals in the industry. All of our helical piers, push piers, and mounting brackets are manufactured by Ram Jack in Ada, OK, at an ISO-certified facility with American-made steel. Williams Form Engineering in Golden, CO, manufactures our reinforcing bar for ground anchor systems and shares our commitment to quality control and quality assurance.

About Ram Jack

Ram Jack is a family-owned business that began operations in 1968, in Ada, OK, where we currently source our piers and brackets. Back then, concrete piering was the original repair method used simply because it was the only technology available at the time. Over time, it became evident that concrete piers did not provide long-term stabilization of foundations and only provided a short-term warranty period. To guarantee the highest grade of customer satisfaction, a greater solution needed to be found.

The Ram Jack owners embarked on a research program to develop a foundation repair system to stand the test of time. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office first issued a patent to Ram Jack for its foundation repair system in 1985. Over the next few years, additional refinements and patents have followed, resulting in the strongest patented system in the industry. Ram Jack driven pilings are ICC-ES recognized (International Construction Code—Evaluation Services). Ram Jack is one of only two ICC-ES recognized foundation repair companies in the industry. Ram Jack’s products meet or exceed code requirements set down by ICC-ES for both commercial and residential properties.

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