Some Oklahoma Homeowners Dealing With Foundation Issues During Heat Wave

The heat wave and drought are causing some homes across Oklahoma to have foundation issues.  

Thursday, July 21st 2022, 6:22 pm



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The heat wave and drought are causing some homes across Oklahoma to have foundation issues.

The crew working on a house near Admiral and 169 said it likely already had some foundation issues, but the heat is making everything worse.

“If you look here, there’s some new cracks here,” Master Lift Foundation Repair Site Manager Zach Kouplen said.

Crews are digging all around the house, and putting 14 piers underground to re-level the foundation.

Kouplen has been doing foundation work for 26 years. He said the work has never slowed down, but triple digit heat keeps him extra busy.

"If we go long periods of 100-degree days, that's when you really should, you know, check around your foundation and make sure it's not just really dry,” Kouplen said.

There are a few other things to look for around your house too, like cracks either inside or outside of your home, doors and windows sticking or not shutting properly, floors buckling, or trim work pulling away from the wall.

Kouplen said one big culprit in Oklahoma is the clay soil.

"You wanna kind of keep a happy medium with the soil,” Kouplen said. “You don't want it super wet, because of erosion, but you don't want it super dry because of shrinking."

He showed News On 6 how clay forms cracks when it's dry, which allows the foundation to settle.

“And it's that yellow clay. That stuff, just, it’s unstable, is what it is,” he said.

But after a few days of hard work in the sun, Kouplen said the homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing their home is structurally sound.

Experts disagree on how helpful it can be to water your foundation. If you do use a soaker hose, experts say it should be 18 inches away from your house, and 6-8 inches underground. 

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