“It’s the soil.”  The soil gets blamed for many foundation problems.

If your slab concrete foundation sits on heavy clay soils that dry out , then swell up when heavy rains come, the foundation is in danger of movement.

It’s exactly this kind of expanding then shrinking that causes most of the common signs of foundation stress and damage.

In North Carolina we have many areas prone to excessive dryness.  With weeks of little or no rain, the soil can dry out.

We are also prone to heavy rains from tropical storms or hurricanes that decide to come inland.  These heavy rains can drop several inches across the area.  Hence the soil swells.
So what is a home owner supposed to do to protect the foundation against the need for repair?

First, take control of what happens with the rain. Install gutters, keep them clean, and direct the water away from the foundation.  Make sure the rain drains off.  Don’t let the clay soil around the foundation swell up.

Then use soaker hoses to keep an even layer of moister around the perimeter of the slab during dry periods.  Don’t let the clay soil dry up and pull away from the slab. Run the soaker hoses just enough to keep an even layer of moisture.

Spending some money today for preventive measures like that can often save you big bucks for a foundation repair job.

Should you find your slab concrete foundation showing signs of cracking, give us a call to evaluate the structure.