When clay soil dries out, it contracts, which can lead to gaps around your foundation, sticking doors and windows, cracks, and movement around your home. It can be tempting to either fill these gaps with soil or water, however this can worsen foundation issues if done improperly.
This week on the KFGO Morning Crew, Lars explains what homeowners can do to help protect their foundation during drought conditions. You can also check out our blog, Why Is the Soil Pulling Away From My Foundation?
Schedule a professional home inspection with Nordic Inspections. Book on our website or call us today at 701.566.1446 ext. 0
Should You Add Dirt Around Your House If It’s Pulling Away From Your Foundation?
September 16th, 2026
(0:00) Good morning 642 the morning crew. It’s Doug, it’s Robbie and it’s our friend Lars Knobloch from Nordic Inspections. Good morning.(0:07) Good morning. (0:08) Lars, we’ve been in in the Fargo-Moorhead area been missing rain and missing rain. (0:14) Finally got about an inch of rain last night depending on where you are, where you are not.And when it comes to (0:20) homes and doors and garages and (0:24) settling and (0:25) the ground pulling away from foundations and sidewalks (0:30) your expert insight on on what we should do, what we shouldn’t do. Lars Knobloch. (0:37) Yeah, I think a lot of homeowners have experienced (0:41) movement in their house (0:44) this summer and (0:46) a lot of it is probably related to the drought.What happens when the clay soil dries out, it contracts and (0:55) and (0:56) that might cause some movement. You could see that this you will lose support under the footing in certain areas. (1:02) Maybe it contracts more in one area than the other which could cause the house gonna (1:08) move differently in different locations.You could see (1:12) newly sticking doors or windows. I was gonna say so if I see it pulling (1:17) like from you know the earth pulling from like say my foundation (1:21) then I could potentially see stuff inside that’s happening. Well, if your house is moving a little bit (1:28) you could see stuff like that drywall cracks may appear.You could see maybe a separation between the wall and the ceiling. (1:36) And (1:38) existing foundation cracks, maybe it will widen. (1:42) Or maybe even the basement floor all of a sudden you feel like man, I feel like this is this is getting wonky.Right. (1:49) Those are all like common things you could see, but it’s also it’s not only you know the foundation, but it’s also (1:56) driveways, sidewalks, patios, all that might be affected as well. (2:01) And it’s the same principle with that and so the foundation is not the only part the property sits on the soil.(2:08) It’s also the basement floor and one of the most common things we do see at our (2:11) inspections is that the floor is basement slab is shifting and moving around and and lifting up. (2:18) But (2:20) what often will happen and you’ve seen this a lot now how the soil is pulling away from the foundation. (2:26) So you end up with like an inch or even two inches.That’s happening in our front yard. Yeah. (2:30) Yeah, so what do we do next summer like dig it up and put more dirt in? What do we do? Well (2:36) first off I would say a concern with that leaving it (2:40) like (2:42) that is that with the first first rain all of a sudden now this could be a shortcut for water to get straight down.(2:49) Yeah, you would think with the dry soil soil we have that you know an inch of water that we had here in Fargo (2:56) yesterday will mostly just soak into the dry soil right and but it’s not gonna be enough to kind of saturate it and (3:04) make it you know (3:06) expand fully to back to back to where it was. Yeah (3:10) So, but so I bet people yesterday may have had some seepage and water coming in through a foundation crack (3:16) Maybe they don’t even know about it yet (3:19) And maybe the sump pump kicked in in some houses. Sure.Sure (3:24) But the one thing you shouldn’t do and that is to fill that gap with dirt (3:30) Don’t just start taking wheelbarrows full of dirt and shovels full of dirt and dumping it in the space. Don’t do that because (3:38) one time in the future (3:39) You’ll have enough water back into the soil again (3:43) And then what’s going what it will do is it’s going to expand back to where it was. Oh, and if you fill (3:48) that gap now you actually might (3:51) Allow additional pressure on the foundation while push that could potentially push it inward.Oh (3:58) Interesting, yeah, yeah, cuz it’s not like the the dirt just evaporated and disappeared visible. It just moved it just moved (4:04) It was contracted and when it gets wet again, it’s going to expand back push back. So you will have so right now (4:11) I’m telling you don’t you if you have the gap you can have water coming through your you know into your (4:18) Basement and if you fill that then you could have a foundation problem.So so what do you do? (4:24) I think the the best way you can do and yesterday at nature kind of started the process for you (4:32) But it might be wise to actually water the soil next to the foundation (4:37) Okay, so can you push what you currently have back in there and not necessarily adding more? (4:44) I would not push anything into the the crap. Okay, I would rather allow (4:50) The soil to help (4:51) all right, and (4:55) you an ideal way to do it is to use like a (4:59) Soaker hose thing and you can lay along you maybe a foot or two away from the foundation. Let it make sure you’re not leaking (5:05) Well, you don’t want to do it over do it, right? (5:08) Right, you just maybe gonna do you know ten minutes on each wall (5:13) and then maybe the next year or the next the following day do another ten minutes and see if you can get some some soil some (5:20) moisture back into the soil (5:22) I think I mean, I remember specifically one one house.This is many years ago now, but there was one house (5:30) that I (5:32) inspected this was also during a bad drought period and (5:39) The the grading around the house was not good (5:42) but it wasn’t more than (5:44) It wasn’t more than (5:46) you know a couple months after the inspection all of a sudden I get a phone call from this homeowner and (5:55) Just almost (5:57) Instantly that one corner of the house is dropped (6:01) Because it was a drought or because it was a drought and the clay soil underneath the footing had (6:08) Contracted to the point the foundation in that corner had lost support (6:12) And then it just it just broke off and it was ridiculous (6:16) And if they would have watered the soil (6:19) Try to saturate the soil can keep that moisture some moisture in the soil. It probably wouldn’t have happened Wow (6:25) Okay, is it too late now? If a person I mean you had a little tuggage away. Is it too late to start watering? (6:32) It’s not too late, but I think it’s a good thing to do (6:37) Just to try to help your house stay supported (6:40) Because we have an unusual drought me (6:43) I mean we see all areas around Fargo has been getting so much rain and in our in in Fargo region.It’s (6:50) It’s been ridiculous (6:52) Super dry (6:53) but I’m hearing what you’re saying is when you build a house or pour a (6:58) driveway or a sidewalk or a foundation for a shed if you’re pouring that in an extreme drought and (7:05) Then the rain comes back. You should be prepared to check for some issues. It could cause some some additional movement from that.Absolutely (7:14) Okay, Lars Knobloch Nordic inspections (7:16) If someone wants to get their home inspected (7:18) Before they sell it if they’re looking to buy a home if they want to get radon checked mold checked (7:23) How can they get on your project list Lars? (7:25) Give us a call seven zero one five six six one four four six or you can schedule your inspection with us on our website (7:31) Nordic companies Inc calm great stuff. Thanks Lars