Is your home showing signs of subsidence?
Cracks in the walls or ceilings, doors and windows sticking, or cracks in the foundation are all potential signs of subsidence.
While it may be tempting to ignore these signs, doing so can put your home at risk of serious damage so it’s important to notice and monitor these signs, and report to the relevant authorities where necessary, or schedule repair work on the property.
Subsidence occurs when the ground below your home shifts or sinks. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including soil type, mining activity, weather, and tree root growth.
Understanding the causes of subsidence is critical to preventing it from happening to your home.
Here are 5 common causes of subsidence:
Soil type:
Certain types of soil are more prone to subsidence than others. For example, clay soils expand when they get wet and contract when they dry out. This can cause the ground to shift and sink over time.
Mining:
Mining has been practised around the world since ancient times, and it continues to provide essential resources, from metals to fuel to minerals, that are necessary for modern life as we know it.
Although extractive industries are vital for industry growth, subsidence caused by mining is an issue that must be addressed. Subsidence occurs when underground tunnels or large quarries collapse in on themselves due to disruption of the underground layers and can cause serious damage to buildings, and roads, or even create sinkholes.
Government regulation and company oversight have improved subsidence management in the past decades, but more can still be done to ensure safe mining practices going forward.
Tree roots:
Growing tree roots can destabilize the ground around your home and lead to subsidence issues over time if left unchecked.
Construction:
Any construction activity near your home has the potential to destabilize the ground and cause subsidence problems down the line if not properly managed. Excavation for pools, additions, or other construction projects should be monitored carefully and approved by a local authority in line with building regulations and planning permission to avoid any issues.
Water main breaks:
If a water main break occurs near your property, it could potentially wash away enough soil to destabilize your home and cause it to sink into the ground. Monitoring local water main breaks is crucial if you want to avoid this type of problem.
For help and advice about subsidence and what can be done to remedy any issues, NHIC Members: The Federation of Master Builders and CIOB are able to advise on matters relating to subsidence.
NHIC member, LABC’s Front Door tool: https://labcfrontdoor.co.uk/search?q=subsidence has helpful articles relating to subsidence and conservatories.
Here’s the link to Front Door Homepage.
The image of the house at the top of this post is of Jerushah the Tilted Cottage, which is situated at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, UK.
This cottage, constructed around 1840, was originally located at Cooper’s Bank, Gornal Wood.
Its crooked appearance is a characteristic feature of the Black Country landscape and was caused by subsidence as coal was dug from the mines beneath.
Credit to the photographer, Elliott Brown, and more information on the house can be found here.