Have you ever walked in high heels along a sand beach? Or tried to stand on a wobbly step stool? It’s tricky, right? As well, sometimes the foundations of our homes pose problems. When subsidence, that sneaky soil-shapeshifter, shows up, underpinnings are often needed to save our homes. Before we look at solutions, lets unwrap this mystery box that leads to subsidence my site.

The Curious Case with Clay: The clay soils have a strong affinity for moisture. They expand when moist and shrink after drying. This constant size shift can make our ground less stable.

Imagine the water in your garden, after a big downpour. Imagine if all that water didn’t drain and stayed in the ground, making it soggy. Waterlogging that persists, whether it’s due to poor drainage or local flooding can weaken your ground and make it more susceptible.

Tree-mendous trouble: Trees look great, but some species of thirsty trees can gulp huge amounts groundwater. As they quench the thirst of their soil, it dries up.

Man-Made Misschief: Construction activity, especially if done without the love and attention our lands deserve can disturb the soil. Consider it giving Mother Nature the equivalent of a slight indigestion.

Histories are a lingering memory: old mines and quarries as well as other underground cavities can be compared to the forgotten stories of earth. These old spaces could collapse, causing ground below to sink. You could call it a trip back in time.

While subsidence may sound as if it were a dramatic plot, the truth is that knowledge is power. The homeowner can take proactive measures by identifying the main culprits. When things get out of hand, don’t forget that your friend with the pick-up is always on standby to lend a paw (or beam).