Either you are at the beginning, in the middle of, or getting close to the end of your foundation repair job. There’s this massive pile of dirt in your driveway and you’re wondering if that will be reused. Seems like a waste to get rid of it . . . maybe it would save you money on your foundation repair bill if the old dirt could be put back in instead of paying for new stuff??
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been in business in the Brazos Valley for 35+ years. We understand more than most about the soil that you walk on each day because we’re digging in it all the time. Honestly, it’s the worst kind of dirt . . .
This article will discuss what kind of dirt we use to backfill after foundation repairs and why. We’ll additionally discuss the direct benefits to you as the homeowner for the soil decisions we make as we finish your foundation repair project.
Can You Reuse the Dirt for Backfill After Foundation Repair?
Even though it seems like a good way to save money or conserve soil, we won’t be reusing the clay soil again to backfill holes in your yard. Once it’s dug out of the ground, expansive clay soil becomes dry, brittle clods of dirt. This difficult clay either just crumbles or becomes rock hard once it’s out and exposed to the air.
If you were to try and put it back, it would not compact well and leave lots of air space around the clods. It just doesn’t go back in the way it came out.
Besides that, this is the rotten expansive soil that got you into this foundation problem situation in the first place. So putting it back doesn’t improve the conditions around your home or set up your foundation repairs for longevity. We’re trying to set up your home with the best possible conditions, and that means the old dirt has got to go.
Here are the reasons we don’t reuse old dirt for backfill in a short list for you:
- It dries out and is unworkable,
- It’s the expansive stuff that messed up your home the first time,
- It’s nasty and not optimal for supporting slab foundations,
- It would make our job 10x harder to backfill, costing extra time/money, plus
- It’s not great for promoting grass growth post-project.
So no, we definitely will not use this dirt again. No one should, I guess maybe unless you’re a potter and you want to make some bowls or something. Perhaps another idea for reuse is to load these clods up into a slingshot and launch them at your enemies – just kidding, don’t do that . . . It’s not good for anything else at this point.
It’s time to kick this dirt to the curb . . . we will have that stuff hauled off for you just as soon as possible and get you your driveway back. The good news is that the dirt will get reused this way, but it will be for a purpose appropriate to its condition i.e. not under a house.
What Soil Is Better to Use for Backfilling After Foundation Repair?
Instead of reusing old clay dirt clods, we use fresh clean topsoil appropriate for our area sourced from the Brazos Valley River bottom. This fill dirt is screened by an excavator and selected to encourage structural integrity for your foundation repairs.
This sandy loam topsoil is better at compacting and accepting the mud-pumping material we use to fully support your foundation repairs. The new topsoil allows for the mud-pumped slurry to easily infiltrate the mix and fill any and all air pockets in the backfilled hole. So you won’t get washed-out spots or compromised unstable soil pockets around your home after it rains or any other time.
Additionally, this nice new topsoil is a much better environment to help regrow any grass that was removed during the foundation repair process.
We get all our topsoil delivered fresh from one of our reputable sources straight to your home just for you. The new dirt costs you an average of $500 to $800 for a typical foundation repair job – well worth the price. By the way, If you need any extra dirt for another project, we can even order more for you and just add it to your final bill.
We Make Foundation Repair Choices That Benefit Homeowners
Now that you know what the *real dirt* is on your backfill, don’t you feel better knowing that we remove the bad clay that is the prime contributor in foundation settlement? We’ll replace it with something more well-suited for supporting your slab repairs long-term.
Why shouldn’t you have it all when you’re looking to solve your foundation problems? With Anchor serving your foundation needs with excellence, you’ve got 35+ years of expertise in the Brazos Valley and a 5-star Google rating too. On top of that, our drilled piers are the gold-standard, tried and true foundation repair method with a lifetime guarantee.
We promise a well-planned, well-communicated, well-executed home project because you deserve the best methods and soil selection that your hard-earned money can buy. Now, who wants to hear more about our lifetime transferable warranty . . .?