“Home is where the heart” is a common quote everyone has heard once in their life. But it’s true everyone is looking for a home or somewhere safe where they can call home. We all desire it and need it. While many people imagine building their home there is something crucial that has to be done before starting the build.
When building a home, it super important to make sure we have a solid foundation to build upon which is why builders test the soil before they even start building. A home has to be built on a strong foundation to ensure stability and maintain its structure through years to come. To survive many environmental changes such as floods, storms and erosion. To begin this process builders will drill holes to test for soil quality to ensure its safe to build. The test checks how the deep it should be for the footing and concrete slab that needs to be built on before laying down the framework of your home. Soils have different qualities that affect the way it supports the structure of the home.
Builders will use three main classifications to check for the way the soil will react to the different conditions, such as moisture in the soil or when it dries out. I will walk through the basic ones to give you an understanding of the classification system.
Erosion – To ensure it will remain the same throughout the years and to see how the volume changes with water absorption.
Bearing capacity- The ability to support the load applied to the ground.
Seasonal swelling and shrinkage – To see if it creates an uneven structure with too much moisture and to check if it remains supported when it dries out.
These checks are required to ensure is built on steady and strong foundation. These checks should be done as soon as possible as possible to get an idea of the cost it will be to build the home including the foundation to keep it steady.
It’s just a little reminder of why soil testing is done when homes are being built especially when the environment can change over time.