Originally Posted by Mojo31

What??? Where is this coming from?

The problem in north and central Texas is that the soils are predominantly clay. During wet months it absorbs water and expands. Then in dry months it contracts to the point of large cracks developing. Those cracks pass through to whatever is on top of the soil.

Putting more sand or gravel between the dirt and paved surface does not really help because then the base is not stable. Buildings are built on engineered slab foundations that include piers where appropriate. The piers either bottom on rock, or they are drilled deep with bell shaped bottoms (in this case they depend on friction so as not to move up and down). It all works well if designed and maintained properly.

People run into issues with their foundations when the soil around it is not kept uniformly moist throughout the year. You simply cannot let it dry out in the summer. That’s why irrigation systems and well-designed drain systems are so important.

We have had zero foundation issues in 14 years in our current place, and no issues with our pool deck or pool she’ll. The foundation is rock solid. We also make sure soil moisture levels are maintained as much as possible. That requires maintaining the landscape so the plants don’t suck all the water out of the soils around the foundation.

The soils do suck, but they can be managed.