Are Expansive Soils Common?

After learning how dangerous expansive soils can be, you might wonder whether you have expansive soil around your home. How common is it to see expansive soils? Why might you have expansive soil in the first place? 

• Natural Soil in the Area 

Some areas have more expansive soils than other areas, but the make-up of soil can change dramatically in a surprisingly small distance. The most common expansive soil types are clay and clay mixes. If you live in an area where clay mixes are naturally common, you may be more likely to have expansive soil around your home than if you live in a different area. 

There are some places in which clay-based soils are predominant, for example, Georgia. But even in places that have predominantly sandy or loamy soil, there can be clay-based areas. Furthermore, clay is not the only expansive soil – peat-based soils are highly reactive to moisture too, though they tend to be prone to becoming marshy when saturated. 

• Choices from the Building Company 

Most building companies will take steps to ensure they don’t build on top of overly expansive soils. However, some companies may not take as many steps as others. That means you might be more likely to have expansive soil around your home if the building company didn’t accurately combat expansive soil issues. 

If you want to know what the makeup of the soil around your home is, you have a few options. You can reach out to the builders to find out if they have records. If this doesn’t work, you could invest in a test to check. However, if you’re having foundation issues, it’s more important to tackle them with an expert, who will have all the necessary expert tools.