Foundation, crawl space and concrete leveling in Burlington, NC

Cullen is a deep soil that formed in place as a mix of pale rock and darker rock beneath it weathered, usually found on ridges and hillsides. Its top layer is loam, and under that is reddish brown clay. Loam is soil with a mix of sand, silt and clay. It drains well, and the USDA rates it moderate for swelling and shrinking, which means it swells noticeably when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries.

Helena is a deep soil that formed in place as a mix of pale rock and darker rock beneath it weathered, usually found on ridges and hillsides. Its top layer is sandy loam, and under that is yellowish brown clay. It drains a little slowly, so it can stay wet for short periods in a wet season.

What It Means for Your Home

• What works in your favorCullen drains well, so the soil beside a foundation usually dries out after a storm.
• FoundationsClay in this ground can push on a foundation in wet months and pull back in dry ones, and over time that can crack walls and let part of a house settle. Look for diagonal cracks and cracked block foundation walls. See foundation repair.
• Crawl spacesEven soil that drains well can stay wet where roof runoff collects, and the ground still adds moisture to the air under a house, which can lead to musty odors, mold and wood rot over time. Look for sagging floors and deteriorating insulation. See crawl space repair and crawl space encapsulation.
• Floor framingWhen the ground under the piers shifts, the beams and joists above can move out of level, and damp air can soften the wood. Look for rotted floor joists, and broken or cracked joists. See framing repair.
• ConcreteClay that swells and shrinks can lift and drop driveways, walks and patios unevenly. Look for a cracked driveway and raised slab edges you can trip on. See concrete leveling.