Skip to Main Content

Can Blue Clay Damage Your Foundation?

Cracking foundation wall.

Did you know local soil conditions can wreak havoc on your home? Take blue clay, for example, which is common here in Utah. It absorbs water from rainfall and snowmelt like a sponge, expanding quickly and then shrinking in drier conditions.

Over time, this constant movement might damage your foundation and threaten your home’s structural stability. Below, learn more about blue clay, how it affects your foundation, and what you can do to protect your home.

What Is Blue Clay?

Blue clay is a type of clay soil that’s closely related to caliche or bentonite soil. It’s made up of sediment from lakes and rivers and is known for its distinctive blue color. This clay is more prevalent in Southern Utah, but you can also find it here in Salt Lake City and surrounding communities, especially in areas near the Great Salt Lake.

Like other clay soils, blue clay expands when wet and contracts when dry, and this constant movement can be a problem for homes built on the material. In fact, foundations might crack and settle when soil particles continuously swell and shrink.

This issue is made worse due to local weather conditions. Salt Lake City experiences 50 inches of snowfall yearly, far above the national average. Water produced by snowmelt can cause blue clay to expand and place pressure on your foundation.

Signs of Foundation Damage From Blue Clay

You may have a problem with your foundation, potentially caused by blue clay soil, if you notice any of the following:

Contact a foundation repair expert like Groundworks if you experience any of these problems. We can inspect your foundation for free and stabilize your home with our custom-engineered solutions.

How To Deal With Blue Clay Soil

Removing blue clay soil from under your home and replacing it with topsoil is expensive, invasive, and time-consuming. Instead, we recommend reinforcing various structures in your home to protect your foundation from potential damage. This process might involve installing solutions such as foundation piers, support jacks, and wall anchors.

Here are some foundation repair methods used by Groundworks that can help you tackle blue clay:

A Groundworks crewman installing push piers.
  • Helical piers: These foundation piers support your foundation from underneath. We can twist helical piers into the ground to prevent your foundation from moving due to soil conditions, providing your home with the protection it needs.
  • Push piers: Our team can propel push piers directly into the ground until they reach bedrock, which is usually more stable than blue clay soil. Doing so can prevent foundation movement and create a safer living environment.
Crewman installing a wall anchor.
Wall anchors keep basement walls stable.
  • Crawl space jacks: Our crawl space jacks restore the floors in your crawl space and keep them stable. As a result, you can ensure floor stability even if blue clay causes your foundation to move.
  • Wall anchors: If foundation movement from blue clay has caused your basement walls to crack or bow, wall anchors can help. They potentially stabilize walls and restore them to their original position.

We also offer various basement waterproofing and crawl space repair solutions that prevent further damage to your foundation. All our custom-engineered products come with long-lasting warranties, providing peace of mind.

Contact Groundworks for Foundation Repair

Groundworks inspector showing homeowner an issue.

Blue clay can be a real problem for homeowners in Salt Lake City and elsewhere in Utah. Thankfully, you can do several things to prevent this expansive soil from ruining your foundation and risking your family’s safety.

Groundworks specializes in foundation repair solutions that protect the stability of your home, such as piers and crawl space jacks. Get in touch with our team today to learn more.

Resources