Building a Sandstorm

Those who live in this area are all-too-familiar with the phenomenon of having to contend with regular subsidence of the dirt around the foundations of our buildings. At my house we had neglected this necessary upkeep for some time, even though we had had the foundation shored up the year of Katrina. Not only did we have visible gaps around our foundation, but we had a cavern an average of 18 inches high under our entire foundation. As I am hoping to do some repainting and floor polishing in the house, I decided it was time to get sand pumped into the cavern to protect my investment. The first step was to remove all plants near the foundation. I spared my palm tree, because it was planted in memory of my father, and it also reminds me of San Diego.

After a backhoe was used to remove the overgrown shrubbery, and a jackhammer was used to break up most of our wildly crooked patio slab, a trench was dug by shovel, all around the foundation. Workers slid underneath to position the hose that blasted clean, dry sand throughout the unwanted crawl space. It was filled to overflowing and a vibrating machine was used to tamp down the sand in a graceful slope away from the house. The air conditioning unit was raised a full foot from its original position. What seemed like a ton of sand was spread throughout the backyard.
Finally sod was added to fill in where the plants had been. I had the option of getting regular topsoil, but all I could think of was wanting a yard that would require as little upkeep as possible. I am still awaiting the sod that is to go into the back yard. In the meantime, the presence of four large active dogs and a doggie door means that the house is full of sand. It is in my bed and in my food and in my shower. But it is worth it.