As one of your most valuable assets, your Melbourne home needs care and upkeep. You may notice that there’s a problem with its foundation but not understand what might have happened. We see many causes for foundation problems. Here are a few that we see most often in Melbourne:
Storm Damage
Since Melbourne is located on the Eastern Seaboard, the town sees its fair shares of tropical storms and the occasional hurricane. Tropical storms bring wind gusts that range between 39 and 73 mph while a hurricane, depending on its category, can feature wind speeds between 74 and 154 mph. These wind speeds can potentially shift your home around on its foundation and cause excess settling.
In addition to the high winds, these storms bring sheets of rain and high surf, which can lead to flooding, especially if your Melbourne home is close to the water. If the storm is strong enough, the entire city of Melbourne may see a certain level of flooding. The rushing floodwaters are fast enough to affect your Melbourne home’s foundation, and they can also saturate the ground and leave your foundation prone to water intrusion.
Growing Tree Roots
In the heat of the Florida summer, you probably love all the tall trees that provide shade to your Melbourne home. The area is home to some beautiful and tall trees. The most common trees that we see in Melbourne include:
- Live oak
- Laurel oak
- Red maple
- Sweetgum
- Florida elm
- Carolina ash
- Loblolly pine
- Southern Red Oak
- Swamp tupelo
- Willow oak
As these trees grow big and tall in the yard of your Melbourne home, their roots spread throughout your yard. Trees need water and sunlight to grow. They get water through their roots, and they’re constantly seeking more, especially since the sandy soil in the area holds very little. Tree roots are not picky about where they spread. You may find the growing over the sidewalk in front of your Melbourne home or delving under your driveway, causing it to buckle or crumble.
If you have any cracks or holes in the foundation of your Melbourne home, the tree roots will push their way into it. You might think that when they reach solid concrete that the roots stop growing. No, the roots continue exerting pressure on the foundation of your Melbourne home. This can cause extensive damage.
Water Damage
You already know that water can be one of the most damaging forces found in nature, but did you know that the water in your soil can damage your Melbourne home’s foundation? In Melbourne, you look forward to those afternoon rain showers that offset the heat of a Florida summer. However, Melbourne sees an annual average rainfall of 54 inches, which is well above the national average of 38 inches.
This additional rainfall can saturate your soil and cause it to put additional stress on the foundation of your Melbourne home. This is called hydrostatic pressure. Essentially, water has weight, and enough water creates a high amount of pressure, which is why if you enjoy scuba ping, you know that you can only pe to a certain depth. Any deeper than that, the weight of the water can crush you — hydrostatic pressure.
Another form of water damage that we see often comes from gutters and downspouts that are misplaced or damaged. Gutters and downspouts are tools that builders attach to your home to move water from your roof quickly and efficiently. This helps to minimize the damage that rainwater can do to the roof of your Melbourne home.
If the gutters and downspouts aren’t placed properly or damaged due to age or a storm, you’ll find standing water after a storm close to the foundation of your Melbourne home. This water can cause erosion of your foundation or put additional hydrostatic pressure on the edges of your Melbourne home. This can cause cracks or areas where the material crumbles in your Melbourne home’s foundation.