The Instability of Active Soil

Active Soil or Expansive Soil

We are working on some blog posts about active soil. Some of our builders live in areas of the US which, because of the geological composition of the soil, are prone to major movement in home foundations. As a result, the movement of these foundations causes structural damage to walls, floors, windows, doors, exteriors, interiors and other areas. In such scenarios, walls gap, floor tile cracks, windows become difficult to close, doors refuse to open or close and the exterior can develop large cracks.

Clay is NOT Our Friend!

The main soil movement happens when the substrate of the foundation is active/expansive soil. Active soil has a very high clay content. As rain falls, the clay in the soil absorbs the water and expands. In contrast, as drought conditions happen, the clay dries and shrinks. The expansion and contraction cause cracks and gaps in structures and materials. And, to make things worse, some areas under a home’s foundation expand and shrink at different rates.

If this information is new to you, we’ve discovered an excellent video on YouTube which may explain the drastic effects active soils can have on homes. Check it out:

Stay tuned to our blog over the next few weeks to learn more about clay-based, active soil. Also, if you are a builder and have questions about how you can protect yourself and your homeowners from such movement, please contact us here!