A common problem that can affect homes across the country, and a problem that we see a lot of, is subsidence. It mainly affects older homes but can easily start to become a serious problem for new homes too once it begins.
Subsidence affects the structural integrity of the building, turning your nice safe bubble into a potential death trap. Subsidence occurs when the ground underneath a building collapses or sinks lower than it should and takes away some of the building’s foundations.
The affects may not be that noticeable until it is too late. This is why it is important that homeowners know what to look out for and importantly, what to do to prevent their home from succumbing to subsidence.
Signs of subsidence
- Cracks in the masonry that are thicker than a 10p coin (3mm)
- Diagonal cracks which are wider at the top than the bottom
- Visible cracks on the outside and inside of the building
- Cracks close to doors and windows
- Crinkled wallpaper
- Doors starting to stick and jam in the frame
- Cracks where extensions join the house
Keys to prevention
If you start to notice the beginning signs of subsidence affecting your home, there are steps that should be taken immediately to reduce the damage:
- Don’t plant any trees too close to your house. There is a rough guide, published by The Association of British Insurers (ABI), which suggests that apple trees be given a 10m buffering distance from your home, plane trees be given 22m and Willow trees given 40m at least.
- If you do have trees that are in close proximity to your home, don’t dig them up! The roots from the trees may be part of the problem but may also be holding parts of the foundations in place. Removing large trees can also cause water logging or instability. Instead, regular pruning of trees can help reduce the amount of water that they absorb from the surrounding soil.
- Maintain your external guttering and drainage to prevent any leaks.
If you think your house is suffering from subsidence, contact the team at Rhino Piling today. We provide underpinning and mini piling in Manchester.
