What is Frost Heave?

There are many different problems that can impact a property’s foundation and exterior concrete surfaces. Unfortunately for homeowners, foundation damage is almost inevitable, and most homes will experience it at some point in their life. The question is how serious the damage will be and what form it will take. Things like subsidence and settlement are very common, but there is also a process known as heaving that, unlike the other forms of damage, causes upward movement and damage.

Commonly called frost heave because of the unique conditions in which it usually occurs, this kind of damage is categorized by upward movement and buckling. This kind of damage is fairly rare in homes because of the weight of the average property and the thickness of their foundations. However, smaller, lighter homes and structures, and concrete surfaces like driveways and patios can easily be affected by it and may heave upwards quite dramatically.

Frost heave is generally caused by how water expands when it freezes. A sudden and severe cold snap can lead to the upper layers of soil freezing solid before the lower levels begin to freeze fully, thereby creating a shelf of solid earth. When the lower layers freeze and the water in them expands, this upper layer can be pushed upwards as a unit, exerting a huge amount of pressure on any surfaces or structures above. This, in turn, can often cause cracking, bulging, and fragmentation over time. Of course, frost is not all that can cause heaving in your home’s foundation. Tree root invasion can also lead to inward or upward buckling.