What Does House Subsidence Lead To?
Homeowners often regard their homes as places of safety, comfort, and a solid investment—a place to make memories and unwind after a stressful day at work. However, for some UK residents affected by subsidence, the stress doesn’t stop at the doorstep. This hidden issue can undermine the sense of security, causing significant concern.
What Is Subsidence?
Before we dive into the consequences of subsidence, we wanted to explain what causes it so that you can better understand what is happening to your home. At its core, subsidence involves the downward movement of the ground beneath a property. When this uneven settlement occurs, it can lead to a host of structural problems for your home.
What Happens If You Don’t Treat Subsidence?
Untreated subsidence often starts as minor cosmetic damage to your interior design but it can escalate to major structural failures. You may be under the impression that subsidence is a slow process, and while it can be, the rate of progression can vary from property to property. What begins as minor cosmetic damage can rapidly evolve into a dangerous structural issue. Therefore, ignoring the immediate signs of subsidence problems, even if you’re not confident that it is subsidence, is like playing dice with your home’s safety and value.
Does Subsidence Stop on its Own?
It can be easy to overlook the early signs of subsidence, assuming the problem won’t get worse or it will even rectify itself. However, subsidence is unlikely to stop on its own and it typically gets worse over time if it’s not properly addressed by experts.
The continued movement of the ground beneath your home can lead to severe structural damage, making it unsafe for your family to live in and eventually uninhabitable. This can have a huge impact on the overall value of your property, not to mention its desirability.
In addition to causing extensive structural damage, there are several risks associated with ignoring subsidence. Small subsidence issues can spiral into more complex problems that demand extensive repairs.
For example, your plumbing and electrics may be disrupted, and you may notice problems with various aspects of your home. Ultimately, the cost of repairs quickly escalates as the damage becomes more widespread. It’s therefore essential to contact experts for professional evaluation and intervention.
Cracks in the Wall
This is the most common subsidence consequence. The cracks usually appear to have one wider end and one slimmer, and they can be found internally or externally. If these cracks are left untreated, they can continue widening and deepening, leading to significant structural damage. Not only are they unsightly, but they are a warning sign that a building is slowly collapsing. Therefore, fixing the problem during the early stages is much more cost-efficient.
Misaligned Doors and Windows
Over time, the progression of subsidence can lead to door and window frames becoming misaligned. Therefore, opening and shutting them becomes a rather challenging task! Without the help of a professional in this scenario, this issue will only worsen, compromising your home’s security.
An Unbalanced Home
An unbalanced home is one of the most significant hazards of unchecked subsidence. This imbalance will only continue to develop over time, leading to slanted floors, water pooling in certain areas and even structural failure in extreme cases.
Depreciation of Property Value
On the whole, subsidence can take its toll on your finances. Properties with untreated subsidence issues see a drastic reduction in market value and often deter potential buyers from wanting to purchase due to the extensive repairs and dangers that subsidence poses.
When Should I be Worried About Structural Cracks?
We often get asked, “Is it safe to live in a house with subsidence?” or “how much wall cracking is acceptable”, and the simple answer is: “no, it is not safe, and wall cracking is not acceptable”. It goes without saying that the overall safety of your home can be compromised by subsidence. From falling debris from the cracked walls and ceilings to tripping hazards due to uneven flooring, those living on the property could face injury as a result. Therefore, we must stress the importance of recognising the early warning signs.
How Can We Help?
At Subsidence Ltd, we consider ourselves your ally against subsidence. We understand how daunting subsidence issues are, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for your property. We pride ourselves on offering an effective subsidence relief solution, no matter the stage of the damage.
Using state-of-the-art technology, we can identify subsidence issues even during its very first formation. Because of this, we can offer our guidance on preventative measures that you can put in place so that the problem doesn’t require extremely expensive and invasive intervention in the future. No two homes are the same, and this also goes for subsidence issues. We always offer a bespoke service tailored to each property’s unique challenges.
However, although we can advise you on safeguarding your home, our innovative resin injections are the critical component of our consistent success in repairing cracked walls and sinking floors. Continue exploring our website to find out how our revolutionary process works – it starts strengthening your property’s foundations in as little as 15 minutes!
Contact Subsidence Ltd Today for a Quicker Solution to Solving Subsidence
Subsidence isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a genuine concern that can profoundly impact a home’s structural integrity, safety, and value. By recognising the signs early on, you can avoid the financial and emotional hardship that subsidence issues can present.
Now you know what happens to a house with subsidence, it’s time to do something about yours. With Subsidence Ltd by your side, there’s no need to face these challenges alone. Protect your home, your investment, and your safety by reaching out to the experts today. Email us at contactus@subsidenceltd.co.uk or enter your details on our online enquiry form, and one of our team will be in touch.
You can also reach out to us any day of the week from 8 am to 8 pm at 0333 1300592 for expert guidance.
At Subsidence Ltd, we proudly stand as industry leaders when it comes to addressing subsidence issues and their solutions across the UK. We’re committed to providing assistance nationwide and offer complimentary on-site assessments carried out by our skilled engineers. In cases where multiple homes within the same postcode area are affected by ground shifting, we extend special discounts to our clients.
CEO of Subsidence Ltd