Does your home’s lot meet the requirements? You may want to build a quality home, but your lot may have soil quality issues that can put your home at risk.
What grading is and how it benefits your home
The soil condition of your lot is not the same as A, B, C, D or F. Soil condition is about making sure your home has a level base or the right slope. If your home’s lot has the proper slope, water will flow away from the house and into the proper storm drainage system.
If your property does not have the proper slope, it can cause major problems for your home. Water coming from irrigation or stormwater can flow toward your house and endanger your foundation walls.
If the water doesn’t make it to the foundation wall, the water can saturate the soil right next to your home’s foundation. This excess water can then cause hydrostatic pressure to rise outside of the foundation walls. When this happens, cracks can form in the foundation, leading to possible structural damage and soil erosion.
Unfortunately, even if the water does not affect your property, it can cause problems for your neighbors. Improperly drained water can cause soil erosion or flooding at their homes, and both you and your builder can be held liable for the resulting damage.
To prevent water damage to your home and property, you need a grading plan prepared by a civil engineer. Methods that may be used in a grading plan for your property include the following:
Swales (low land areas) that drain ground water
Graded slopes that keep water away from your home’s foundation
Exact amounts of soil that need to be added or removed from the property
Typically, a plan shows the slope of a lot in five-foot increments. This is important because it gives the construction manager valuable information to use in working with the grading contractor. By adhering to the grading plan, the contractor saves time and money by correctly estimating how much soil needs to be removed or brought off site. It also reduces the likelihood of callbacks to the job site. That saves money.
Grading plays an important role in keeping your home’s foundation in good condition. Contact CR Construction & Grading for grading services in the Bay Area.
When you need grading services Spartanburg, CR Construction & Grading can help. We understand the challenges of the Bay Area’s unique terrain and can provide expert grading services that are well planned and supervised.