Why is Soil Stabilization Important?

Most of your classic foundation repair solutions like piers are designed to deal with settling foundations. But what happens when the problem is heaving caused by expansive soils? That is where soil stabilization comes into play.

What is Soil Stabilization?

Soil, especially expansive soil such as clay, swells when the moisture content rises and shrinks when it dries.

This constant shrink/swell cycle, if severe enough, can wreak havoc on foundations.

Soil stabilization takes aim at the shrink/swell cycle, reducing the change in soil volume that, if uncontrolled, can be greater than 10%.

This can take several forms. You can attempt to keep water from getting to soil. You can also “pre-swell” before building commences to make the swelling less of an issue.

Each of these methods has significant drawbacks, though. That is why at Childers Brothers we recommend something different. We chemically alter the soil so it binds less easily to water molecules.

This limits upheaval by making the soil less expansive.

EcSS 3000

At Childers Brothers, we don’t believe in leaving things to chance. We make sure that our solutions have been scientifically tested and proven to work.

Why Other Stabilizers Fail

Read more about why other soil stabilizers fail.

This is the case with EcSS 3000, our soil stabilizer of choice.

EcSS 3000 was developed by Environmental Soil Stabilization LLC in 1993 and has been proven effective in major studies at three different universities.

We believe in the product and the company so much that, in 2014, we bought it.

How Our Soil Stabilization Works

What makes expansive soil more expansive than other soils is the attraction of water molecules to negative charges within the clay particles.

The water clings to the clay, pushing the particles apart and causing the soil to heave and expand.

EcSS 3000 prevents this from happening. Our precision, high-tech machinery injects the substance into the soil. There, the stabilizer reduces the negative charges in the clay particles enough to minimize swelling and prevent any damage from upheaval.

Want To Learn More About Our Soil Stabilization Process?

Read more about EcSS 3000 and how we use it.

Why Is Soil Stabilization Necessary

While there are other issues associated with foundation upheaval, perhaps none of them match those two words that homeowners dread: foundation damage.

Few things have as big of an effect on the health of a home’s foundation as the surrounding soil. If it is too loose, settlement will occur. If it is expansive, then upheaval becomes a concern.

Learn more about foundation upheaval.

Ironically, settlement and upheaval even share many of the same symptoms:

Sticking doors
Jammed windows
Uneven or cracked concrete floors
Cracked sheetrock walls
Cracked ceilings

This is because in both cases the forces are rarely applied evenly throughout the foundation.

Why Amarillo Homes (Including YOURS) Need Soil Stabilization

In the case of expansive soils, uneven upheaval will place stress upon the foundation, causing cracks in the foundation along with the problems listed about. The more expansive the soil, the greater the forces being applied to your foundation. And considering increases in soil volume of 10% aren’t uncommon, our soil can get pretty expansive.

In severe cases, your home might even be at risk for foundation failure.

While for settlement issues you can anchor your home down to a load-bearing strata of soil, there is no such option to combat upheaval. You can’t anchor it to the sky.

Therefore you need to address the soil itself.

Advantages of Using Childers Brothers for Soil Stabilization

Our science-based solution to soil stabilization offers several benefits to you, the homeowner.

1. It is Minimally Invasive

While anything drilling down to change the soil is going to make some mess, the injection points for EcSS 3000 are relatively small, especially when compared to methods such as cutoff walls and aprons.

2. Our Solution is Long Lasting

Too many of the usual soil stabilization solutions come with a ticking clock. That is because they amount to little more than constructing a temporary barrier between the soil and surface water.

In order to achieve truly long-lasting results, you need to address the soil itself. EcSS 3000 does this.

3. We Have the Evidence to Back It Up

Our results aren’t theoretical. We don’t say, “This should work.” We use EcSS 3000 because it has proven to work. We have the scientific studies to back it up.

Contact Childers Brothers to Stabilize Your Soil

At Childers Brothers, we don’t suggest a solution just because it is easy or it is what we always do. We follow the evidence to see what your home needs.

That is why we conduct a 27-point foundation analysis before every job. If soil stabilization can solve your foundation issues, we have the expertise. If the analysis points to a different cause, we will adjust our solution accordingly.