Plant flowers and shrubs at least 5 feet from the foundation. Plant trees at least 15 feet away. Any landscaping near foundations should be xeriscape-type ground covers and mulches. Sprinklers should spray no closer to the foundation than 5 feet. Maintain good drainage away from the structure.
Expansive soils shrink when dry and swell when wet.
This movement can exert enough pressure to crack sidewalks, driveways, basement floors, pipelines and even foundations. Pressures can be as great as 15,000 pounds per square foot. Expansive soils are found throughout Colorado. Parts of the major population centers along the Front Range and on the West Slope are located on expansive soils. Soil surveys provide general information about soils in an area.