Many builders don’t think about the type of soil that a foundation is built on, but this could be a huge mistake. Clay soils are notorious for swelling with moisture and shrinking in dry conditions, which can cause a foundation to shift over time and leave it vulnerable to damage.
Use the Right Foundation
But how to stabilize foundation on clay soil? Expansive clay soil swells with moisture and shrinks when dry, causing seasonal soil movements that impact foundations. These movements can cause damage to a home’s structure and lead to expensive repairs.
When clay soil absorbs water, it expands and swells to a near-mud consistency. This puts a lot of pressure on the foundation and can crack it. Moreover, the expansion will be uneven, compressing the soil on one side more than the other.
However, with a few precautions, you can stabilize your clay foundation quickly. The most important thing to remember is to always keep the soil moist. This will prevent the swelling and shrinking that lead to soil movements and foundation damage. Fortunately, you can accomplish this by using a soil stabilization solution. Earthlok uses AGSS-ICS, an environmentally friendly formulation that improves the soil beneath your foundation and reduces swelling by up to 88%. This solution also compacts the soil, increasing its strength and load-bearing capacity.
Keep Plants Away From Your Foundation
One of the most important steps you can take to stabilize your foundation on clay soil is to prevent the growth of plants and shrubs within 10 feet of your home’s exterior walls. The roots of these plants can erode the soil around your foundation, leading to structural damage. Additionally, the branches of these plants can provide superhighways for bugs and rodents to gain entry into your house.
When expansive clay backfill is wet, it swells and puts pressure on sidewalks and slabs, forcing them to shift and crack. Then, when the clay dries out, it shrinks, creating gaps that water can move through.
To prevent this, install gutters and downspouts to channel roof runoff away from your foundation and use drip irrigation to water your yard so the soil remains at a constant moisture level. Also, avoid planting trees and bushes near the foundation so their roots won’t be as close to your home and suck moisture out of the clay backfill.
Install Drainage Around Your Foundation
Expansive clay soils are prone to shifts in moisture levels, and this movement can disrupt your foundation. It can cause your foundation to crack and even tilt the floors of your home. Luckily, it’s not impossible to prevent these movements from damaging your home.
Houston’s black soil has a high water-holding capacity and can compress to the point of impacting structures on top of it. This can cause concrete slabs, sidewalks, and walls to heave and shift.
The best way to prevent this damage is by installing drainage systems in the area around your foundation. You can do this by digging a trench around your foundation six to ten inches deep and placing a drainage tube in the track. The line will drain the excess water, keeping the expansive clay soils underneath your foundation from expanding and disrupting your home’s structure. This is a simple, cost-effective way to keep your foundation from suffering from damage caused by clay soils.
Don’t Forget About Foundation Repair
The soil beneath your home is a vital factor in how your house will stand over time. Expansive clay soil can cause fissures and cracks in foundation walls that can cost more than damage from floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes.
To minimize the effect of expansive clay soil on foundation structures, you need to take preventative measures like avoiding plants near your foundation and making sure you have adequate drainage around your foundation. It would help if you also had a professional inspect your foundation and recommend any repairs that need to be done.
The problem with expansive clay soil is that as it absorbs water, it swells and puts intense pressure on a foundation not built to accommodate this type of movement. But, as the soil dries out again, it shrinks away from the foundation, creating voids that can lead to severe structural problems and waterproofing issues for your home or building. These movement patterns can happen repeatedly, leaving your foundation vulnerable to damage.
