Ground Shifts or Soil Shifting

So, you’ve owned your home for some time now. You feel like your property is secure and sturdy. So what happens when one day the ground underneath your house starts to shift?

The simple answer to this question is soil shifting. Soil shifting can cause damage to your home or foundation in the form of cracking, popping, leaning walls, doors sticking out of hinges, etc., etc. Soil shifting occurs when large amounts of clay are exposed to water. Expanding and contracting soil causes small sections of earth to rise up or sink down into larger sections creating gaps between the ground and building foundations that create serious cracks in a foundation wall leading to costly repairs. Some of these repairs include expensive plumbing slab leaks that happen when pipes crack below your home’s slab foundation.

So how do you avoid cracks in your foundation wall due to soil settling? There are several ways to avoid the problem. To start, keep your soil as level as possible by grading it. Soil grading keeps moisture away from foundation walls, which keeps your soil more stable. Additionally, you should take preventative measures to ensure that your home can handle sudden changes in temperature. Impacts on your foundation walls will be less likely to occur if they’re strong and sturdy because of changes in temperature. Soil shifting is a serious issue but it can be prevented with some effort and simple maintenance every now and then.