Ask Builderguru
Question:
I just bought some land to build my house on and the excavator said I can not put my foundation in because of unsuitable soil conditions. He said it is peat and you can't build on peat. Is this true?
- Category:
- General Building
- Posted:
- Oct 23, 2007
Answer:
Unfortunately you did not take soil tests before buying your land. You should get a soil engineer to take boring samples to see how far down the peat goes. If it is not far you can excavate it out and replace it with engineered fill.
If it is deep you can drive piles. Ask the engineer which is the most cost effective.