Julian Construction: Expansive Soil Puts California Homes at Risk
LOS ANGELES, CA: During the late 1950s, many homes in California were built using pier foundations to prevent damage caused by expansive soil. In cases where the piers weren’t drilled deep enough, expansive soil can still cause foundation issues, reports Julian De La Torre, owner of Julian Construction, Inc., (www.julianconstruction.com), a foundation repair and construction company in Los Angeles.
Expansive soil contains clay minerals that increase in size when the soil gets wet. When the soil dries, the particles shrink leaving spaces in the soil. Over time, a foundation will settle deeper and deeper into these voids. The settlement is rarely uniform, which can cause cracks and other types of damage that weaken the foundation.
“Pier foundations are especially vulnerable to damage caused by changes in the moisture content of expansive soil,” says De La Torre. “When soil expands and contracts, it will affect the foundation’s load bearing capacity. If the stress is significant enough, the pier can end up falling.”
According to De La Torre, any home built on expansive soil should be inspected on a regular basis to prevent serious foundation issues. “If there is a problem and it isn’t addressed quickly, you may end up having to replace the entire foundation.’
Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog.
