Subsidence                                                                                       ç Back

Subsidence is an insured peril, and is caused by changes within the soil, the most common being dessication, following sustained dry periods where moisture is removed either by vegetation and/or trees.

The damage as a consequence of subsidence can vary enormously from property to property and of course will be dependant mainly upon design and construction of the foundations and more importantly the type of soil that the foundations are bearing upon.

The south east of England is predominantly clay, and this has a high moisture content and will experience significant shrinkage when moisture is removed, but will rehydrate when sufficient moisture is added.

To establish liability and a claim from an insurer the homeowner has to identify the cause.  The investigations required to establish cause will involve many specialist professionals managed by a chartered surveyor who will seek specialist assistance for example from an arboroculturist and/or from soil technicians who will undertake various boreholes and soil analysis to identify the cause.

This is particularly important for insurers to allow them to consider third party recovery in the situation where roots from a tree either positioned in a neighbours property or in the public footpath, thereby being the liability of the local authority, to recover their losses.  The growth of roots across a boundary is a trespass, and therefore actionable in law for recovery of the damage as a consequence.  It is therefore very important that the investigations are undertaken by experienced and qualified professionals.

Once the cause has been identified, APA Property Services can recommend a course of action to either remove the cause and/or undertake remedial repairs to rectify the damage.

In some instances it is necessary to monitor a building by fixing ‘studs’ across the cracks and taking regular measurements thus allowing the surveyors to identify when the soil has stabilised.

As a consequence of the dessication and rehydration of soil drying the various season changes, soil will swell and shrink accordingly, until equilibrium is achieved, especially where a number of large trees have been removed and these roots no longer withdraw the moisture.

Once the soil has stabilised a specification and schedule of works is prepared for the reinstatement and/or repair and these will vary enormously depending on the extent of the damage, which occurred.

These may be full or partial underpinning with superstructure repairs, or simply in minor claims superstructure repairs.

IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED SUBSIDENCE, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO APPOINT A SURVEYOR TO ASSIST WITH THE INSURANCE CLAIM, AND RECOVER ANY COSTS FROM THE INSURERS.


These are photos of subsidence that APA have assisted with.
(Click the image to enlarge)

    
    

If you are concerned about cracking in your property, would like to know more and how we can help please contact us in the first instance and without obligation on 0870 240 1138 or via our online contact form by clicking here