Because North Texas is located along the Northern part of the Texas Coastal Plain, the prevalent soil type consists of a thick, clay alkaline soil. This highly expansive type of soil can withstand long drought periods and also expands in the summer and retracts or shrinks in the winter.
This soil also has a tendency to hold water, which if not drained properly can lead to costly foundation repair. At the opposite extreme, some home dwellers do not properly water their lawns. Evident signs are when the soil is pulling away from the foundation.
Engineers build homes in the area to account for the constantly moving soils, but it's the maintaining of your soil that can make the difference between extensive foundation work and minimal work.
The North Texas area has a high plasticity index, a measure of how expansive the soil is. Some areas are far higher than others, but overall the area has a higher than normal plasticity level.
North Texas contains some of the highest levels of soil plasticity, leading to foundation repair work as a commonplace event to area homes.
