Also known as Vertisol , expansive soil contains specific types of minerals called smectites , which can absorb a lot of water and expand considerably. A classic example of smectite-rich soil is Houston Black , which can be found in Houston and neighboring cities, including Sugar Land, TX. If you live in Sugar Land, TX , should you worry about having expansive soil under your home? Not necessarily. Although expansive soil could mean bad news for a Sugar Land homeowner, you can prevent foundation damage by taking a few simple measures.
Cracks β Cracks developing in the foundation, slab, floors, and walls are typical problems in a Sugar Land home built on expansive soil. Because this type of soil has a great expansion-contraction capacity, it tends to absorb and retain a lot of water. But it can also shrink significantly when it dries out. Over time, repeated changes in soil volume can exert enough pressure on a foundation to cause cracking as well as other types of damage.
In all the aforementioned cases, differential settlement is very likely to occur. Since expansion-contraction cycles will place repetitive stress on your foundation, differential settlement may worsen over time. When a foundation moves significantly, the whole structure moves as well.
This may cause significant structural damage to the entire home. The cracks that develop in the soil around and under your foundation during dry conditions can facilitate the infiltration of rainwater and snowmelt into deeper soil layers.
As a result, excess water that gets under your foundation may create a damp environment in your crawlspace. This could lead to various problems, including musty smell, mold growth, and wood rot. Over time, excess moisture may also affect different structural elements, such as wood studs, and impact your entire floor system, leading to warping, crowning, buckling, cupping, and tiles detaching from the slab.
