Leading ground engineering firm provides specialist advice to homeowners…
Spring is widely recognised as the prime time for home renovations, with many homeowners taking advantage of the season’s warmer weather and longer daylight hours to make much-needed updates to their properties.
However, with a focus on aesthetic, as a report from insurer Aviva reveals that 61 per cent of UK homeowners are planning renovations to improve their properties' appearance over the next two years, many overlook a critical issue – subsidence – which can turn into a serious and costly problem if not addressed promptly.
This is why leading ground engineering firm, Mainmark UK is urging homeowners to be vigilant while updating their properties this spring.
Subsidence happens when the ground beneath a building sinks, often due to various factors like extreme weather. Heat waves can dry out the soil, while heavy rainfall can erode it, both contributing to the formation of voids within a home’s foundations.
Ultimately, subsidence can lead to unstable foundations, damage to homes, and compromises a building’s safety, which can delay renovation projects; it can also dramatically reduce a property’s saleability, leaving sellers significantly out of pocket.
Despite an estimated 4.5 million homes in the UK being at risk of subsidence, with an additional 1.2 million expected to be affected by 2050[1], more than half of homeowners are unaware of the signs to watch out for, according to research by Lexis Nexis.
According to residential subsidence expert Freya Chapman from Mainmark, homeowners should be on the lookout for five key warning signs when looking to renovate a property:
Five symptoms of subsidence
- Cracked walls: cracks wider than five millimetres or those that follow a stepped or zigzag pattern along the mortar of the brickwork are a common sign of subsidence.
- Sloping or sinking floors: this suggests that the ground beneath your home is unstable and it’s important to seek immediate attention from a professional.
- Skirting boards separating from floors and walls: any unexplained physical gaps that appear throughout your home suggest some form of structural movement.
- Jamming doors and windows: subsidence might cause misalignment in the weakest points in a structure – for example, around door frames and windows, areas that are worth monitoring closely.
- Unexplained puddles forming: if you suspect a drainage issue in your home's foundations, such as a burst pipe or blocked drain, you may notice puddles forming around your property and garden.
Repairs, especially traditional underpinning, have a reputation for being loud, messy, lengthy and disruptive to both the property and everyday life, it’s understandable why jobs like foundation and repair or house levelling can be put on the back burner.
However, if you notice any of these symptoms occurring in your home, you need to act quickly before the problem gets worse and potentially more costly. Speaking with an expert can help boost your confidence in completing the project and introduce you to new technologies and innovations that can make the process more efficient and less intrusive.
Freya adds: “The average cost of treating subsidence is between £6k and £14k, which can vastly increase depending on causation, with homeowners having to pay sizeable excesses – that’s if your insurance policy even covers you. If left untreated, subsidence becomes a costly long-term financial burden, impacting premiums and decreasing your home’s value by up to 20 per cent.
“My advice to anyone who notices these symptoms is to take note of them right away and reach out to an expert, such as Mainmark, who offer a free on-site visit with a quote. They can guide you through the process of monitoring the issue, filing an insurance claim, and diagnosing and addressing the subsidence in an efficient and cost-effective manner. With methods similar to keyhole surgery, the treatment is likely to be non-invasive and cause minimal disruption to the homeowner.
“The process involved in monitoring and treating subsidence can be lengthy, with insurers needing to collect evidence on the root cause of the issue before financially compensating the homeowner. So, the more information you have about the subsidence and its origins, the better prepared you will be.”
Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of the Mainmark group of companies established in 2016. The company has over three decades of experience and has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions. Mainmark has earned international recognition as an award-winning ground engineering organisation.
For further information on how to spot subsidence visit: https://mainmark.com/uk/subsidence/signs-of-subsidence/