Oklahomans know that building a new home in the sooner state has its challenges. While new housing and growth have been booming for the last several decades, Oklahoma is prone to man-made and natural damages that can wreak havoc on existing structures and need to be considered when building new structures. If you are a new transplant to Oklahoma, or are planning to be, knowledge of these issues can be beneficial as you decide on where to live and what type of home to purchase or build.
Oklahoma is the most biodiverse state in the union. Because of this, Oklahoma sees temperature extremes in both summer and winter. Oklahoma has the potential to be the hottest spot on the planet during the summer months, while experiencing arctic-like temperatures in the winter. This is hard on Oklahoma roads as well as your foundation.
Special consideration needs to be taken to the foundation of your home. Because the earth in constantly moving and shifting between periods of rain and drought, this can cause sags in your foundation which threaten the structure of your home. It may be necessary to utilize house piers Tulsa Ok if you start seeing cracks in your sheet rock or experience unlevel floors.
Another contributing factor to the shifting earth is an increase in fracking over the last several years. Fracking is the injection of waste water into drill sites where natural gas is being extracted. Companies have had to take special precautions due to the increase in earthquakes being experienced in Oklahoma as a direct result of fracking. Homeowners didn’t need to consider earthquakes in their homeowner’s policies a few decades back, but would be wise to include this type of coverage today.
Perhaps what Oklahoma is best known for is spring tornadoes. In any new build, the builder or new homeowner would be wise to incorporate a safe room. A safe room is a small room usually placed underground, though they can be found above ground as well, so that the residents of a home have a safe place to seek shelter. If a home doesn’t have a safe room, then it should at minimal have a small, central room which is the location of a home less likely to see damage in a tornado event.
Long-time residents of Oklahoma are well aware of all of these hazards. Before relocating to the state, any new resident should also be aware of the risks associated with Oklahoma weather and oil company fracking.
