Important Ground Rules For New Home Excavation

When it comes to building a new home, excavation is one of the first and most important parts of the construction process. Every structure needs a solid foundation, and without proper excavation, your new home will stand on shaky, unstable ground.

Now, contrary to popular belief, excavation is not just digging a large hole in the ground. In fact, there are hardly any other construction site development processes that require as much precision and accuracy as excavation.

Therefore, when it comes to construction excavation projects, it’s always best to hire a reputable contractor, such as Bob Mahoney, who has plenty of experience in the field.

To help you ensure that your project goes smoothly, we’ve put together a list of ground rules to keep in mind when excavating for a new home.

A Detailed Survey of The Construction Site

Besides ensuring that your property lines are correct, its vital to perform a detailed survey of the construction site for a couple of important reasons:

• Correct Plans: this may seem far-fetched, but if excavation work is being done on multiple properties in the vicinity, you may not have the right excavation plans for your home’s site.
• Angle: Land that looks flat and level to the naked eye may have a slight gradient that’s enough to cause major issues during foundation excavation. Therefore, ensure that the build site is perfectly flat and level before foundation work begins.

Test The Soil Before Breaking Ground

While the land in Northern Illinois is beautiful, it’s not always the most stable. Soil can contain various minerals that could cause your home’s foundation to become unstable over time. You’ll want to get the soil on the construction site tested to ensure it doesn’t contain particular minerals, including:

• Blue Clay: the presence of blue clay is one of the most prevalent causes of foundation damage in homes. When it rains or when you water your lawn, blue clay deposits swell up, putting pressure on the foundation and potentially damaging it.
• Gypsum: This mineral tends to dissolve with enough contact with water, which is why it’s recommended not to build a structure on gypsum-rich earth.
• Other Clay Minerals: clay minerals also have a tendency to absorb water and swell up, which can crack your home’s foundation.

Hire a Reputable Contractor

When you hire renowned specialists, such as Bob Mahoney Excavating, for your new home excavation project, you don’t have to concern yourself with any of the technical aspects of the job. You just have to tell us the specifications and requirements of your project, and leave it to us to do a flawless job.

Serving various areas in Northern Illinois, including McHenry and Marengo, Bob Mahoney Excavating INC is a highly experienced and reputable excavation contractor. In addition to construction site excavation, we offer a range of other services, including grading and leveling, and demolition services. Get in touch with us for further information.