If you live around Baton Rouge, the ground under your house is probably more active than you think. Much of south Louisiana sits on clay-rich soil, and clay behaves differently from sand or gravel: it takes on water and swells, then shrinks as it dries.
The swell and shrink cycle
After a stretch of heavy rain, clay soil expands and can push upward on part of a foundation. In a hot, dry spell it shrinks and pulls away, leaving less support underneath. Because rain and drought do not affect every side of a house equally, one corner can move more than another.
How it shows up in a house
The movement can crack walls and brick, make doors stick, and cause floors to slope. A slab can tilt or crack, and a pier and beam foundation can see piers sink or shift.
What makes it worse
- Gutters and downspouts that dump water next to the house
- Soil that slopes toward the foundation
- Large trees planted close to the house
- Leaking plumbing under or beside the house
What homeowners can do
The goal is to keep the moisture in the soil around your house steady. Keep gutters clean, extend downspouts several feet from the house, make sure the soil slopes away, and fix leaks quickly. Be careful with extra watering: some homeowners water the soil near the foundation during long dry spells, but ask a contractor before trying it because too much water causes its own problems.
When to get help
If you are seeing cracks that grow, doors that stick or floors that slope, an inspection can tell you whether the soil is to blame and what repair, if any, makes sense. Our foundation drainage page explains how moving water away can help.
Seeing any of this at home? Request a free estimate and a local foundation repair contractor can take a look.
