Unstable Soils

Mississippi is known for clay-rich soils that can be defined as “highly expansive” in nature. This type soil often times expands and contracts with the addition of moisture or the lack of moisture. When clay-rich soil becomes saturated with water, the clay soil expands and loses its strength. This situation is often times what causes the foundation of your home to sink.

When moisture is taken away from the clay soils, the soil tends to “shrink” or contract. Often times when this contraction occurs, the soils do not always lose moisture evenly, eventually causing one area to contract faster than another. When soils contract in certain areas beneath your home and not in another, your homes foundation loses needed support and therefore settles unevenly.

Do you have expansive soil beneath your home?

Expansive clays are very common in the state of Mississippi. If you live in or near Tupelo, Starkville, or Hernando cities there’s a strong likelihood your home sits on some amount of expansive soil. It is very important to watch out for signs of foundation failure in and around your home to see if your home may be sinking as a result of the unstable soils below.