Foundation, crawl space and concrete leveling in Durham, NC

White Store is a deep soil that formed in place as the sandstone, siltstone and shale beneath it weathered, usually found on ridges and hillsides. Its top layer is clay loam, and under that is red clay. Loam is soil with a mix of sand, silt and clay. It drains a little slowly, so it can stay wet for short periods in a wet season. The USDA rates it very high for swelling and shrinking, which means it swells a lot when it gets wet and shrinks a lot as it dries.

Creedmoor is a deep soil that formed in place as the sandstone, siltstone and shale beneath it weathered, usually found on ridges and hillsides. Its top layer is coarse sandy loam, and under that is brownish yellow clay. It drains somewhat slowly, and it can stay wet near the surface for part of the year.

What It Means for Your Home

• 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 cracked block foundation walls, and cracks that step up through brick or block. See foundation repair.
• Crawl spacesClay stays damp after long rains and adds moisture to the air under a house, which can lead to musty odors, mold and wood rot over time. Look for deteriorating insulation and higher energy bills. 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 sagging floor joists and rotted floor joists. See framing repair.
• ConcreteClay that swells and shrinks can lift and drop driveways, walks and patios unevenly. Look for uneven slabs and a cracked driveway. See concrete leveling.