The first thing that springs to mind when a foundation starts to fail is often subsidence as soil movements is a particularly nasty problem to deal with, even for the most experienced contractors. Here at Rhino Piling, we’d much rather prevent subsidence by installing a high-quality foundation from the get-go, but a lot of our residential clients don’t have this luxury. After all, subsidence can be caused by a multitude of different reasons. Read on as we assess the impact that moisture can have…
Subsidence is every homeowner’s worst nightmare as this silent dilemma can wreak a lot of havoc on the foundations of a property long before it is discovered. There are many different reasons why subsidence may strike, but more often than not the problem can be traced back to the influence of moisture and the impact that it has on the soil a foundation has been built upon.
It can be comforting to know that subsidence tends to affect older properties rather than new-builds because their foundations have been around much longer and are therefore a lot more susceptible to movement. In addition to this, new-build often use more advanced foundational solutions and take measures to prevent subsidence from occurring in a way that existing builds constructed in the 50’s and 60’s did not.
Moisture levels in the soil can change on a day-to-day basis, particularly if a property is located near the sea or a river. Plus, certain soils like clay and sand are more susceptible to moisture changes and their shape can be heavily influenced by it. This means that a property built upon soil where moisture levels may come have a higher chance of subsidence as a result. In addition to this, tree roots obtain nutrients from the water in soil and properties with large trees located within a close proximity are dangerously at risk of subsidence, a danger that extends to both new and existing builds. In such situations, it is often necessary to remove the trees.
The best way to prevent or tackle subsidence caused by moisture changes is to invest in deep foundations. This is because the weight of the property is transferred to stronger soil located deep within the earth which reinforces its stability and means that any soil movement on the surface cannot cause any sudden shifting. To find out more, get in contact with the best piling in Manchester at Rhino Piling today.
