How to Protect Your Home Against Hydrostatic Pressure

There are many outside forces that can have an impact on the structural stability of your home. Unfortunately, most of these outside forces are out of our control and cannot be avoided. The best way to deal with them is to call our bowed wall and wet basement repair experts in Tampa. At LRE Foundation Repair, we can provide solutions to combat these forces and create stability for your home.

Hydrostatic pressure is one of these forces that puts pressure on your home's foundation and can cause serious damage. To avoid the damaging effects of hydrostatic pressure, rely on LRE Foundation Repair to provide solutions like foundation crack repair for your Tampa home.

What is Hydrostatic Pressure?

During a light rain storm, the rainwater simply wets the ground and the water has enough room to disperse evenly into the soils. During heavy rain storms, the rainwater can completely saturate the ground and leave the excess water with no place to go.

The excess water can build up in the ground and start to push against your foundation walls as it has no place else to go. This phenomenon is known as hydrostatic pressure. The excess moisture in the ground can put an extreme amount of pressure on your foundation walls and cause extensive damage to your foundation.

Hydrostatic pressure can become so intense that even tens of thousands of pounds of pressure can be exerted against your foundation. Unfortunately, most foundation walls are not capable of handling this kind of pressure and it can compromise the structural stability of your home.

Instead of fighting against hydrostatic pressure, as that is a losing battle, there are solutions to fix the problems that are caused by the pressure.

How Hydrostatic Pressure Impacts Your Home

The pressure exerted from hydrostatic pressure can greatly impact the structural stability and the value of your home. It can cause structural damage as well as water damage in your basement and turn into an expensive issue for homeowners. Extended exposure to hydrostatic pressure can cause your Tampa home to need bowed wall or foundation crack repair from local experts like LRE.

The soils in the ground are a big part of the problem. As the soils become saturated with water, they fill up and expand, putting additional pressure on your walls.

Structural Issues

The pressure exerted on your basement walls from the hydrostatic pressure can cause major structural issues for your home. As a result, you may notice the following symptoms:

Bowing Basement Walls: The pressure put on your basement walls can cause them to bow or buckle inward. It may not happen right away, but over time, the pressure can cause this to happen and jeopardize the structural integrity of your home.
Wall or Foundation Cracks: The pressure can also cause your basement or foundation walls to crack, which can lead to a number of different issues.

Water Issues

Aside from structural issues, hydrostatic pressure can also result in water damage to your home. As the water in the ground builds up and pushes against your foundation walls, it can seep through any existing cracks.

Water in Basement: If your foundation or basement walls have any cracks in them, the water that is pushing from the outside can easily seep through any cracks and enter your basement. Even the tiniest of hairline cracks can allow water to enter your basement through hydrostatic pressure.
Efflorescence or Mold: The water damage caused by hydrostatic pressure can lead to efflorescence or mold growth in your basement if the water damage is left untreated. Mold in your basement can lead to a number of different health issues for you and your family.
Musty Odors: Water damage in your basement can also cause musty odors in your basement and in your home. As the water is pushed through the cracks in your walls, the moisture can result in musty odors.

Protect Your Foundation with LRE Foundation Repair

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent hydrostatic pressure. LRE Foundation Repair, Inc. in Tampa offers solutions including foundation crack repair to help combat the negative impacts of hydrostatic pressure to protect your foundation.