What to do if you think your house has subsidence?
If you think you may have subsidence, the first step is to contact your buildings insurer. The sooner it is picked up the easier it will be to deal with. The insurance company will arrange for a surveyor to inspect your home and confirm if it is subsidence.
How can you tell if your house has subsidence?
The usual indications of subsidence are:
- Cracks in the walls, ceilings and outside brickwork.
- Expanding of existing cracks.
- Cracks appearing after a long phase of dry weather.
- Rippling of wallpaper that isn’t caused by damp.
- Sticking of doors and windows suggesting doorframes or windowframes have changed shape.
What are subsidence problems?
In very simple terms, subsidence in property happens when the ground upon which the structure is built begins to sink or, in more dramatic instances, collapse. This shift can disrupt the foundations and cause the building above to become askew and strained by the movement below.
Does subsidence devalue property?
How much does subsidence devalue a property? Issues with subsidence can affect the selling price of a property by around 20%.
What are the warning signs of ground subsidence and collapse?
What are the warning signs?
- Fresh cracks in the foundations of houses and buildings.
- Cracks in interior walls.
- Cracks in the ground outside.
- Depressions in the ground.
- Trees or fence posts that tilt or fall.
- Doors or windows become difficult to open or close.
- Rapid appearance of a hole in the ground.
What is the difference between subsidence and settlement?
Settlement often appears in new buildings and is a common sight as the ground adjusts to support the weight of a new house. Subsidence is the downward movement of the ground beneath a house, where the supporting soil moves away from the building and makes it unstable.
Is subsidence a big problem?
Subsidence is a common problem for home owners in London due to its construction on London clay; one in 50 houses in London and the South East has suffered from subsidence.
Can subsidence be fixed?
Underpinning is the old method of treating subsidence, now with Geobear it can be repaired in as little as one day. Our simple injections of material into the ground under your home cures subsidence permanently, it stops the environment affecting the soils and creates a solid base for the future.
Can subsidence be fixed without underpinning?
Underpinning is not always necessary to rectify a subsidence issue, and is increasingly being used only as a last resort. There are two particular situations where underpinning should not be carried out. The first of these is if the ground movement that caused any damage has stopped and is unlikely to reoccur.
Is there a way to correct subsidence once it occurs?
If subsidence is found, there are typically two options available: underpinning and resin injections. Concrete underpinning requires raising, re-levelling and re-supporting the building with an additional foundation layer.
Is subsidence serious?
Subsidence is one of the most serious problems a property can suffer, potentially affecting not only your home’s structural safety, but also its resale value. If you think you’ve spotted the signs of subsidence in (or outside) your home, don’t worry.
Can subsidence always be fixed?
Dealing with subsidence affecting your home is, unfortunately, never a quick fix. There is a process that you need to follow, which starts with spotting the first signs and getting a firm diagnosis of subsidence before you can move on to carrying out works to fix the problem and clearing up afterwards.
What happens if you have a house with subsidence?
If the foundations are affected in this way, the property will sink and this will cause cracks to appear in the building itself. It will also mean that the side of your property that is affected will literally start to sink lower into the ground below it, which gives the house a ‘slanted’ look.
Why does the survey say the property has subsidence?
The structural engineer may also suggest why he thinks the subsidence is happening. A collapsed mine, vibration from a train tunnel, etc. One of the most common causes is trees that have grown too big. Someone planted a sapling in their back garden close to the house and let it grow into an enormous tree.
What causes soil to wash away in subsidence?
Pipework treatment happens if the pipes beneath the property are the reason why subsidence is occurring. They may have leaked or even burst and this causes soil to wash away.
Is the subsidence crisis less of a crisis?
“Thirty years ago, subsidence was widely seen as the kiss of death,” says Theresa O’Hara of James C Penny in Oxford. “But now, thanks to modern remedies for subsidence such as underpinning, it is less of a crisis.
What does it mean when your house has subsidence?
Subsidence occurs when the ground underneath your property begins to collapse. Not a pleasant thought… Sometimes it doesn’t mean a full collapse of the ground, but rather the ground sinking and the property sinking with it. Whichever of these two cases occurs, it still means that the foundations of your property are sinking into the ground.
Is it safe to sell house with subsidence?
They may have leaked or even burst and this causes soil to wash away. This is actually a more positive outcome because if this is discovered (a CCTV survey through the drains is the method used) then it will be relatively cheaper to fix than underpinning would
How can I prevent subsidence from happening in the future?
However, even once the necessary repairs have been carried out, some lenders may not wish to accept the property as a suitable security, especially if buildings insurance cover can no longer be obtained. How can I prevent subsidence from happening to my home in the future?
Pipework treatment happens if the pipes beneath the property are the reason why subsidence is occurring. They may have leaked or even burst and this causes soil to wash away.