The Importance Of Soil Testing Before Construction

Here at Certified Material Testing Products, we provide superior expertise and quality customer care, coupled with innovative new products and competitive prices, to exceed your expectations. Many people call or email us to ask about soil testing specifics. Soil testing can be a little confusing if you're not sure what you're looking for. Thankfully our highly-trained customer service representatives are here to help! We've also compiled the falling information on soil testing and why you should always test your soil before you build.

Testing your soil before any type of construction can avoid potential problems and costly mistakes. Here are things to look for:

• Are the soil properties ideal for establishing and maintaining lawns, shrubs, trees, and gardens without needing to extensively modify the soil?
• Is the land on a floodplain?
• Are there soil factors that prevent or limit the soil's ability to have a septic tank if public sewer isn't available?
• If you plan to install a basement, will you be limited by a high water table, the depth to bedrock, surface ponding or excessive runoff, or the shrink-swell potential of subsoil?
• Do you know the slope surrounding the site? Will the site be stable? Will there be an excessive amount of water runoff?
• What about the potential erosion and landslide conditions? Consider that previous erosion may have caused gullies or limited the depth of the topsoil. These things requiring leveling and filling. Erosion can give you a clue about the stability of your soil on a slope that's uphill from the house.