[tabs]

At 8 AM a horde of 25 guys decended upon my home. They dug 2 test pits that were about 3 feet deep and 2 tests pits that were 5 to 6 feet deep. Cored my driveway, and cored my cement slab in 2 places, they took soil samples to test for compaction and expansivness. Had 4 Structural Engineers go up in th attic, and cut 2 holes in the drywall in the house and 2 holes in the garage. They also did a Manometer test on the house.

The structural engineers and Geo Tech Guys were the same ones as the ones who represented the home owners in the first Class Action Suit. The guy who did my Manometer test is the same guy who did the first manometer test on my house before I purchased it in March. The head of the Geo tech firm showed me the layer of clay that expands. It so happened that the Builder left a 5 foot deep trench open for the electrical cable for the house he is building next door. Guess what the house next door thats being built is going to have problems too. The footings go down about 2 feet and the layer of expansive clay is about 3 to 4 feet down topped with sand and gravel, thus when it gets wet the water quickly goes through the gravel and expands the clay causing the perimiter of the foundation to rise. My Manometer test went from a 1.6 to a 1.8 since June...0.75 of an inch is the maximum allowable, and 1.0 if you wana give some leeway. Also the framing on my house was done better than the earlier houses they had looked at. I was told that the slab/foundation for my house was too flimisy for the expansive soil here in LV. That either you excavate down 4 or 5 feet to remove it and replace with clean nonexpansive soil or you beef up the slab foundations with footings criss crossing every few feet.

I really didn't expect 25 guys today maybe 5 or 6. They also tested my neighbors house across the street today as well. His Manometer test came back a 4.05. It seems his slab is bowing in the middle. Every houses pattern of movement is different due to the differences in soil composition. Todays Bill for Testing both my neighbors house and mine was the Greater part of 60K.