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With respect to freezing and foundations, Texas can be divided into two areas: anyplace where the ground will freeze to a depth below six inches, and the rest of the state.  Generally, the only places where the ground will freeze are west Texas and the...

The summer has ended, Labor Day has come and gone, and the temperatures have dropped below 90 degrees.  The days when the weather is sucking water out of the ground are over, or are they?  Most homeowners assume that they no longer need to water their...

Soil sometimes slides down a hill at a slow pace, perhaps several feet per minute.  Slow moving soil masses are called soil slips.  Soil slips can be small, a few square yards, or much larger, covering acres of land.   If your home is on a hillside, soil...

When a foundation sinks, it is because the soils under the foundation are sinking. To fix a sinking foundation, Advanced will install supports that go down through sinking soil to stable layers that can support a home. Stable soils can be reached by...

Q:  WHAT IS A STEEL PILING? A:  For homes and light commercial buildings, steel pilings are steel columns that are pushed into the ground under a foundation.  Steel pilings can be made in short segments, for example one foot long, or longer sections up to...

Foundation Types The vast majority of homes have one of three types of foundations.  Today, the most common foundation is a concrete slab on grade foundation.  Such foundations are variously referred to as floating slabs, slab on grade, conventional slabs,...

Q:  WHAT IS A SWALE?   A:  A swale is simply a shallow ditch that is used to carry off water.  Swales are often so wide and so shallow that you do not notice them.  On most city lots, where homes are 10 to 15 feet apart, there is a swale between the...

The primary cause of foundation movement is the shrinking and swelling of expansive clay soils as such soils alternately dehydrate and hydrate.  As expansive soils absorb water and swell, they typically exert upward forces measured in thousands of pounds...

During hot dry periods, in areas with expansive soils, cracks will appear in the ground.  In the Dallas and Fort Worth area, the cracks can become huge.  In some parts of Irving and Grand Prairie, we have seen cracks that were up to 6 inches wide and went...

Mudjacking is the process of lifting a building, driveway, or any object by pumping concrete (known as mud to people who work with it) underneath the item to be lifted. Different types of concrete can be used. Usually, a low strength concrete is used....