Expansive Soil

If a soil contains a significant amount of clay it is considered to be an expansive soil. Expansive soils tend to expand as they become more moist and shrink as they loose moisture.

Differential Movement

Expansive soils are the main cause of Differential Movement. This generally occurs whenever the moisture content of the soil is not consistent throughout. When this happens the foundation sags in the drier areas and it can even be raised in areas that become saturated.

When the soil expands and raises your foundation you want to fix the water problem and wait for the soil to dry out. The last thing you want to do is to raise the rest of your foundation to match the already elevated areas. Yet this is exactly what many foundation repair salespeople will want you to do. You might want to consider contacting a foundation consultant for a second opinion. The reason you should consider a consultant is that you will likely not get an objective opinion from another foundation repair salesman.

When your foundation moves it causes all sorts of problems The following list contains some of the things people notice most when there is foundation movement caused by expansive soils.

• Cracks in exterior siding, especially in masonry
• Cracks in drywall or sheetrock in interior walls
• Doors that will not open or close
• Windows that will not open or close
• Cracks in tile floors and bowing of wood floors
• Cracks that allow insect invasion
• Cracks that allow water to seep inside

Which State Has The Most Expansive Soil?

My vote would be for Texas the state where I live. Most of the homes, especially in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas of Texas are built upon extremely expansive soils. I know most of the folks who own homes in these areas would agree with me. The fact that most of the major home foundation repair companies in the U.S. are headquartered in one of those cities also makes a very strong case for Texas being the hands down winner.

We have all heard the jokes about how things are "Bigger and Better in Texas". It turns out that things may be bigger but not always better, at least for not for foundation problems. In Texas the problem is indeed bigger, yet not necessarily better.