Why Might You Need Channel Anchors?

A foundation won’t break all on its own and channel anchors won’t necessarily be needed unless certain factors are in play. However, there are some things that can be more impactful on your foundation, which can increase the chances that you’ll need channel anchors. 

• Soil  

The foundation of each home is surrounded by soil, which keeps pushing into the walls from the outside. In normal circumstances, your foundation will be well-built and able to resist it. However, there are cases where a foundation may not hold up so well. For example, the soil may begin to settle over time, or the area may experience severe flooding. Soil can place a dangerous amount of pressure against your foundation. With no pressure against the walls from the inside, the foundation can start to crack.  

Expansive soil holds specific potential issues — it will expand and contract depending on how much moisture it contains. When the soil is lacking in moisture, such as during a dry season, it will contract, causing the foundation of your home to sink. During the wet seasons, it will then expand. This in-and-out motion will be hard on the fixed structure of your house. It may cause cracks to form in the foundation as the walls start to move. As the process continues, the walls will have no support and eventually become unstable.  

• Water 

There are two main ways that water can negatively impact the home’s structure. Hydrostatic pressure is the technical term for the water pressure in the soil surrounding the foundation of the house. The higher the water pressure in the soil, the more pressure gets exerted on the home’s walls or its foundation. In particular, rainy seasons can have a huge impact on the structure of the foundation. During a rainy season, such as the spring, the water pressure will build and push up against the house. This may cause the foundation to begin to bow or tilt as a result.  

Frost is another water-driven enemy of foundations. During the winter months, when the water inside the soil begins to freeze, it also expands. This will push up against your home. When spring comes, the frost will melt, and the soil will contract, causing the foundation to shift once again. In many cases, the foundation of your home will start to crack as it settles. If you regularly have freezing issues outside your home, you need to think about the impact frost will have on your foundation. There are ways to mitigate this impact, and channel anchors may be one of the best ways to do it.