West band · Krum, Texas
Foundation Repair in Krum, TX
The most swelling ground of any town we studied: deep clay over the Denton Clay and limestone, and what it asks of a foundation.
Of the 33 towns we studied around Denton, Krum had the largest share of its land on soil rated high or very high for shrink and swell: 24 of our 25 points, or 96%. If you've found a crack in a Krum house, the ground is the first suspect, and it's worth knowing exactly what that ground is.
- Free inspection
- No obligation
- Town-by-town soil data
- Referral service, disclosed
- Call (940) 535-7201
What have you seen?
Here's foundation repair in Krum from the rock up, with what each layer means for your house.
The Ground Under Krum
Krum sits on the west band of Denton County, the Grand Prairie. On the state geologic map, every one of our 25 points landed on Grand Prairie rock, the only town in our study where that happened. Just over half, 52%, fell on the Fort Worth Limestone and Duck Creek Formation. The other 48% fell on the unit that holds the Pawpaw Formation, the Weno Limestone and the Denton Clay.
The Denton Clay takes its name from Denton Creek, not the city, the US Geological Survey's record of rock names says.
The soil on top is clay almost everywhere. Of our 25 points, 12 read very high (48%) and another 12 high. These are the soils we found:
- Sanger clay, 10 points. In its most common form, it reads 8.4 on the USDA scale at the surface and 9.1 from about 7 inches down to about 3 feet. It's 45% to 48% clay, with no rock in the 80 inches the survey describes.
- Ponder loam, 8 points. It formed from the shale of the Grayson Marl. It reads 4.5 in its top 6 or 7 inches, then 7.5 all the way down to 70 inches or more.
- Frio silty clay, 3 points. A creek-bottom soil whose map unit is named "occasionally flooded." It reads 8.3 in its top 22 inches.
- Slidell clay, 2 points. Half clay from top to bottom, reading 10 in its top 32 inches.
One point of Mingo clay loam, over limestone about 29 inches down, read high too. The only point that read lower was a single patch of Lindale clay loam, at 4.5.
On the USDA's scale, 9 or more is very high, and the USDA says any soil rated moderate or higher can damage buildings as it shrinks and swells. In Krum, that covers every point we sampled.
What Krum's Clay Means for a House
On clay this deep, a house moves with the weather. It can rise when the clay is soaked and drop when a dry summer pulls the water back out. NOAA's Denton Municipal Airport station averages 35.60 inches of rain a year, with its driest month in July at 1.77 inches, and July highs near 96°F.
That has three practical sides:
- Even moisture helps. The Texas engineers' guidelines favor soil moisture that stays near even on all sides of a house, and they caution against overwatering.
- Piers have to reach past the moving clay. A Foundation Performance Association paper, from a Houston group of engineers and repair firms, describes a drilled pier's goal as support "below the active zone of the soil." On Krum's ground, with no rock in the top 80 inches at most points, piers may have to go well down to find it.
- Heave is part of the picture. The same paper warns that piers won't stop a slab from being pushed up unless they're designed to. Ask how a repair plan handles that.
For the soil name at your own address, see the free USDA lookup in our soil and rock guide.
Krum Homes by Decade
Krum has 1,979 homes, and the median one was built in 2004, the Census says. The 2000s brought 36.7% of them and the 2010s 23.0%, with 4.8% since 2020. Before that, the 1980s added 17.3% and the 1970s 10.0%, but the 1990s only 4.7%. Just 2.1% are older than 1960.
So Krum has two main groups of houses: a 1970s and 1980s group, and a larger group built since 2000. The Post-Tensioning Institute dates its design method for slabs on expansive soil to 1980, which falls between the two. HUD's rehab inspection guide says a crack's meaning changes with the building's age: a half-inch crack can mean fast settling in a new house and very slow movement in one 50 years old.
- 2004Median year Krum homes were built
- 2.1%Built before 1960
- 69.2%Built in 1990 or later
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2023.
Permits and Water Rules in Krum
We couldn't find Krum's foundation repair permit rule or its watering rules published online. Before work starts, ask the City of Krum whether a repair needs a permit and an engineer's plan. Nearby Denton requires a permit for every foundation repair, with a plan sealed by a Texas registered engineer, which is a fair standard to ask about.
Lake and Flood Notes for Krum
FEMA's flood map reaches into the area. Of our 25 land points, 4 fell in the 1%-annual-chance floodplain. Our points are more than a mile apart and take in creek valleys, so that tells you nothing about any one street. Look up your own address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
Foundation Repair Services in Krum
- Foundation inspection with a second set of readings in a different season
- Slab foundation repair with piers planned for deep Sanger and Ponder clay
- House leveling when floors slope across a room
- Foundation crack repair to read a crack that opens and closes with the seasons
- Pier and beam repair for older raised floors
Krum Foundation Repair Questions
Why does my Krum house crack more in summer?
Clay shrinks as it dries. Sanger and Ponder clay read high to very high, so a dry July and August can pull the ground away from part of a slab. A crack that widens in summer and narrows after the fall rain often points to the soil.
Is there rock under my house in Krum?
At most of our Krum points, no: the survey found no rock in the top 80 inches. One point of Mingo clay loam had limestone about 29 inches down.
Is the Denton Clay under Krum?
Part of it, on the map. Nearly half our Krum points fell on the unit that holds the Pawpaw Formation, the Weno Limestone and the Denton Clay. The map can't say which layer is under one lot.
Nearby Towns in the Same Band
Close by on the west band: Sanger (84% of land points high or very high), about 9 miles away. Ponder, about 8 miles south-west, came in at 76%. Denton, about 6 miles away, sits on the edge of the west and middle bands. See all service areas.
Get a Free Foundation Inspection in Krum
On Krum's clay, it pays to measure before anyone talks about piers. Tell us what you've noticed. A foundation repair company that works in Krum can check the floors and walk you through the readings, at no cost and with nothing to sign.
What have you seen?