Technical Papers

Is Your Home on Solid Ground? This isn't a metaphorical question; we're being quite literal here: is your home on solid ground? Your first reaction is probably, "Of course it is!" Your second reaction is probably, "What a dumb question!" And, you wouldn't be alone. Most people assume their homes are built on what we've come to call "solid ground." After all, who would build a home or any other structure on anything but? The answer may surprise you. That's because the soil under and around our homes is often not as stable as we might think. In fact, the ground beneath your home is actually made up of many different layers of soil, each with its own properties, such as moisture content, density and material type (clay, sand, etc.). Over time, these layers can wash out, soften as they are wetted or shrink as they dry out.