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This article is written by an independent resource not affiliated with Ram Jack.
The state of the soil in many southeastern states is relatively poor compared to other parts of the country. Most of the topsoil in Florida and Georgia, for instance, was generated in the slow breakdown of the Appalachian mountains, meaning that it has difficulty retaining form and is very porous. This is good news for farmers, but bad news for homeowners, as a soft and collapsible soil base can lead to major problems (and major price tags) with regard to foundation repair piers. The concrete foundation base beneath your house is subject to normal wear and tear from pressure and soil acidity, but when the foundation itself begins to shift or break down, it can create a litany of headaches that require immediate attention. Georgia soil is known as Tifton, meaning that the top foot or so of earth is loamy sand. The attractive capability of sand is quite low, making it hazardous to construct buildings on top of a sandy base without adding moisture or chemical additives to the area. Older houses, usually built prior to the Second World War, rarely used these additives to improve the quality of the ground, making them more precarious and more inclined to foundation damage. Check your property with a simple ruler: if you can wedge it more than six or so inches in the ground, the soil is more sand than loam and could potentially cause foundation shifts. Irrigation may make foundation repair piers unnecessary, however, it is not a substitute for an actual professional treatment. Florida, likewise, has topsoil that is almost entirely sand, with a minimal amount of peat and limestone (neither of which are very amenable towards rigidity and structure). The consistent heat tends to vaporize water out of the ground quickly, and in the dry season can lead to ossification of an entire area. Keeping the area beneath a house moist and cool is crucial to avoid the damage that makes foundation repair piers crucial. A geochemical engineer can take a sample of the dirt on your property and give an estimate about how strong it may be, and whether future repairs may be predicted and solved before they grow worse. If you have found that your house may have foundation damage cracked walls, doors that will not close, and raised floor surfaces are tell-tale signs repairing the problem requires urgency. A contractor can use a set of push piers in order to permanently keep your foundation level and strong, but the longer you wait, the more a concrete base may strain