Subsidence is a problem all homeowners should be wary of as it can end up causing expensive damage and can even cause large portions of your home to collapse, making it unliveable for the foreseeable future.
With British weather being so unpredictable; varying from heavy rain to scorching months of summer heat, homeowners also need to know what weather is capable of doing to their home’s foundations in order to spot damage before it gets worse.
Subsidence occurs when there is a shift in the ground underneath and surrounding the property’s foundations. This causes the building to sink or collapse. Hot weather affects the soil, causing it to shrink, as prolonged hot weather draws more and more moisture out from the earth. Clay soil is much more at risk from shrinkage than other soil types, but prolonged hot weather can cause every soil type to shrink enough that it can pull away from the foundations and cause subsidence.
If a property is surrounded by lots of trees and other foliage this can exacerbate the problem further as the roots of these will draw even more water out of the soil.
How to spot subsidence
Regardless of how it happens, the signs of subsidence are often the same. The most notable sign is that of diagonal cracks appearing inside the home, usually next to a door or a window. These cracks are generally wider at the bottom and get narrower as they get higher. Some of these cracks can be so bad they can be seen from the outside as well as the inside of the house.
If the crack appears underneath wallpaper it wont be as noticeable, it may manifest itself as a wrinkling of the wallpaper. Some cracks are known to make noises as they develop, so if you hear a large cracking or banging sound, investigate immediately and contact an engineer.
If you think your home is suffering from subsidence, contact the Rhino Piling today to speak to one of our experienced engineers in piling in Manchester.
