More cracks in foundations, brick reported as record temperatures affect homes

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - Soaring temperatures are taking its toll on houses in Mobile, Alabama, causing cracks in the drywall and doors that suddenly won’t close.

“When you’ve got this dry soil, it can’t hold the weight of foundation footing or slab concrete, and that’s the biggest thing we’re seeing right now,” said Charlie Tatum, assistant sales manager for AFS Foundation and Waterproofing Specialists.

Tatum said it’s a common problem in the summer. He said typically the company gets about 400 to 500 appointments a month with 30% of those calls being for concrete.

That’s changed over the last month thanks to the heat wave.

“This month we’ve been running closer to 40 to 45%, so almost half of our calls are coming because of concrete,” Tatum said.

Tatum said cracks in the brick are the most common signs of a problem with the house.

“Any unlevel concrete like tripping hazards, cracks in the concrete itself, you can also see drywall cracks inside your home around door frames and window frames,” Tatum said. “You’ll see cracks coming down off the tops of your windowsills.”

Tatum said typically the problem can be fixed by injecting foam underneath the soil to lift the concrete to its original place. They can also use a helical pier to take the weight off the weak part of the soil. Either way he says catching the problem early is crucial.

“Once it becomes too big of an issue, there’s a lot of other expenses that come with it, so it can get more of an expensive repair cost,” Tatum said.