Does your home need underpinning?
Posted on: 18 November 2020
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How safe is your home? As a responsible homeowner, you have probably spent a lot of time ensuring that your property is well maintained. You will have checked that the home electrical supply and plumbing are in good working order and that your roof is well maintained but is there something more fundamental that you are missing? While all of these things are important one thing that supports all of them is the foundation of your home.
If there is a problem with your foundation then you are at risk of losing your property regardless of how much time and money you have spent taking care of the building.
Do you have a foundation problem?
You may need to arrange for house underpinning services if your home has begun to experience subsidence. Some people think that subsidence is always obvious, they expect it to be signalled by gaping holes appearing in the garden or the floor starting to lean at a sharp angle. While those things could indicate severe subsidence most signs are much more subtle than that and if you want to rectify foundation problems before they become serious you must spot the signs much earlier. Possible indications of subsidence could be cracks emerging by your doors or windows, or doors that no longer shut as easily as they did. If you are concerned and think that you might have a problem then calling a house underpinning company should be your top priority.
What causes subsidence?
Subsidence can be caused by a variety of things. One of the most common reasons is homes being built on soil that was not properly compacted, leading to soil falling away from the foundations creating room for the property to move. You can also experience subsidence as a result of drought, damage from tree roots or even underground excavations or mine workings. Rather than panicking if you notice these signs it is best to call in professional assistance from a house underpinning company. They will be able to investigate the issue and advise you on the most appropriate method of underpinning your property or fixing the problem. The solution could be as simple as fixing the exterior problem if there is a tree root interfering with the foundations or a nearby drain has failed. However, more frequently some form of house underpinning will be needed to stabilise the property and make it safe for the longer-term.