Masonry footings are a very important element of a building that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, they can also be a tricky element to handle if you are installing them on clay soil. Here is what you need to know about this situation and how you can manage it for yourself.

Concrete Footings Are Very Important In Masonry

Footings are one of the most important elements of masonry, particularly when you are creating a building. These items are made out of concrete and use rebars to increase their strength and stability. After laying footings, you place your foundation on top and build the rest of the structure right on the foundation to improve its strength.

Good footings and foundations will resist soil changes and provide a maximum level of strength to your home. Unfortunately, they are not immune to problems with soil. As a result, it is critical to understand how soil stability can impact your masonry footings, particularly clay-heavy soil that is dense and liable to shifting.

Soil Stability Can Decrease Masonry Stability

When your soil is unstable, your foundations and your footings are more likely to sink or shift. While they aren't likely to move that heavily, even slight movements in your masonry is a problem. Clay is among the worst soils for masonry stability and should be avoided as much as possible.

If you can't avoid it, you need to take steps to address the issue. By managing this problem as soon as possible, you are ensuring that your building has the strength that it needs to avoid serious issues that could cause your masonry to suffer from cracks and other problems.

Tips For Laying The Footing

Keeping your masonry footing strong is a difficult process, but it can be managed with a little careful adjustment. For example, it is important to make sure that your footing matches the exact length and width of the masonry structure. If there is any extra length or width to the building beyond the footing, you should flash the footing to make it wider to match it.

As clay is too dense and has a tendency to shift and is often difficult for footings, you may need to add new soil to the area if you find that clay is causing an issue with your masonry footings. Nutrient-rich soils are a good choice here because they will remain stable without shifting. Try to avoid sandy loam because it is also likely to shift heavily under your building.

For more information, contact a company like Mercer County Chimney Services.