Dry Conditions may lead to Foundation Problems
During recent drought conditions and a record heat wave, Central Texas homeowners should worry more about protecting their foundation than keeping their lawn green.

Here’s an example of how you can fit your entire hand between the slab and the dirt. You don’t want your home to look like this. Photo by Julie Moody. Click the image to see a larger version.

Austin, TX -- In this 2:45 min Radio Report, KUT reporter Julie Moodie hosts a discussion of potential foundation damage when soils are allowed to dry out, shrink and crack, and then expand again when wet.

 Julie Moody, KUT Radio, 90.5 - 06/30/2009

HOT: Julie interviews a home inspector who gives listeners basic advice on how to water the foundation, but it's not that simple. Even engineers at the Texas A&M Construction Science Department can't agree on the proper watering regimine to prevent foundation problems. The problem is that so many Texas homes are built on very expansive clay soils with foundations that aren't properly engineered for those challenging soil conditions.

Good builders seem to have far fewer foundation problems than ones who cut corners to save costs. The structural engineer starts with a geotechnical soil analysis that identifies the type and depth of the soil, depth to water table, slope, surrounding vegitation, and other factors.

Our 5-page paper, Soil Issues for Residential Construction in Texas, provides a good understanding a list of resources.

Our new 3:31 min YouTube video, "Homeowner Caveat Emptor," illustrates the personal and social impact.

Related articles on our site include:

• 05/27/09: FOUNDATIONS: Homeowners File Complaints Against Stucky 
• 05/21/09: FOUNDATIONS: Faulty houses falling off foundations 
  Belton homes built by indicted builder Pete Stucky are falling apart.
• 05/14/09: FOUNDATIONS: Why so many failures in Texas?
  Some builders blame it on Texas Soils, but guality builders don't seem to have a problem. We blame it on shoddy construction.
• 04/22/08: FOUNDATIONS: Huttoparke Problems Continue, Values Suffer
  Soil problems might affect all 787 homes in the HuttoParke neighborhood and several homes in Legends of Hutto. At issue is the black clay soil that expands and contracts with moisture and requires extra precautions by builders or homes will shift more than usual. If not designed to handle that movement, the stress can cause cracks, popped nails and separation between walls and ceiling trusses. Federal investigators say the soil is "very limited for building," with weaknesses that "generally cannot be overcome without major soil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures."
• 04/22/08: FOUNDATIONS: Hutto clay leaves some homes needing repairs (STATESMAN)
  Soil problems might affect all 787 homes in the HuttoParke neighborhood and several homes in Legends of Hutto. At issue is the black clay soil that expands and contracts with moisture and requires extra precautions by builders or homes will shift more than usual. If not designed to handle that movement, the stress can cause cracks, popped nails and separation between walls and ceiling trusses. Federal investigators say the soil is "very limited for building," with weaknesses that "generally cannot be overcome without major soil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures."