Understanding and Treating Subsidence

What is Subsidence?

Subsidence is a phenomenon where a building sinks into the ground, often leading to significant structural issues. It’s a homeowner’s nightmare, as it can lead to big structural problems if not identified and treated early. Subsidence typically results in your home moving or sinking either in one specific area or across the entire foundation footprint.

Recognising the Signs of Subsidence

Recognising the signs of subsidence is the first step to addressing the problem. Some common signs to watch out for include:

• Cracks in walls: These are usually diagonal and appear suddenly, both inside and outside the building. The cracks caused by subsidence are wider at the top and generally wider than a ten pence piece.
• Sinking floors: A sinking floor can be identified by gaps, cracks, or uneven surfaces around the skirting of the floor.
• Sticking windows and doors: If doors or windows stick or fail to open and close properly, it could be due to the building moving from its original foundations.
• Extensions moving away from property: Subsidence cracks are common at points where an extension meets the main buildings, indicating that the extension is pulling away from the main structure.

If your home is showing any of the signs above, get in touch with us today. We can provide you with a free quote and home evaluation. Call us on 0333 1300592  

What Causes Subsidence?

Several factors can lead to subsidence, including:

• Soil type: Certain types of soil, such as clay and silt, can shrink and expand with varying weather conditions, leading to subsidence.
• Leaking drains: These can wash away or erode the soil beneath a property, destabilising its foundation.
• Unstable foundations: Poorly constructed foundations can shift over time, resulting in subsidence.
• Tree roots: These can absorb water from the soil, causing it to dry out and shrink, thereby leading to subsidence.

How Can Subsidence Be Treated?

At Subsidence, we utilise state-of-the-art techniques to treat subsidence without the need for excavation. Our approach involves injecting an expansive material beneath your property. This material is pumped into the soils as a liquid and expands under the ground, filling the voids in the soil, forcing out any water, and compacting the soil. This results in a stable base under your property’s foundations or floor.

We carefully monitor this process using laser monitors, which can pick up as little as 0.25mm of movement above the injection point. We continue injecting the material until the floor or foundation is lifted to the required level. This method is not only faster but also cleaner than traditional methods of addressing subsidence.

Subsidence and Your Insurance

Many homeowners wonder if their insurance covers subsidence damage. It is a critical question that homeowners need to ask their insurance providers. While some insurance policies cover subsidence, others do not. Always ensure that you read through your insurance policy and consult with your insurance provider to fully understand your cover.

Subsidence Repair 

Subsidence is a serious issue that can significantly impact your home’s structural integrity. However, with early detection and appropriate treatment, it doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event. At Subsidence, we’re here to help you understand the problem, provide effective and efficient solutions, and help you live happily in your home again.

At Subsidence Ltd, we tailor our subsidence repair solutions to each individual customer. We understand that each home is unique, and therefore, each case of subsidence is, too. But, no matter the stage of the problem, we can utilise our cutting-edge eco-friendly resin injections to rectify the existing damage and ensure that further implications are prevented.

Subsidence, though daunting, can be repaired on your property. Get in touch with our helpful team today to discuss what happens if your house is subsiding via phone at 0333 1300592 or by completing our online enquiry form.