Subsidence Cure

[JK0]

Hello guys. It took me a while to find this old thread of mine, but there are new developments:

I have had BOTR's suggested structural engineer monitor the cracks for the last year. He reported as follows last week:

The damage may be summarised as:

- Damage in the ground floor kitchen limited to a slight crack beneath the bay window

- The presence of cracks in the rear and flank walls of the first and second floor bedrooms

- A crack at the junction of the rear addition flank wall with the main house (in the bathroom at eaves level)

- A vertical crack in the party wall; at the junction of the rear addition with the main house

- Cracks were also visible in the rear walls of the adjacent first and second floor rooms

- The rear wall of the rear addition appears to lean outwards.


The property has been subject to an insurance claim for subsidence of the site. No site investigations were undertaken, but the damage was considered to have been caused by water leaking from drains. The drains were repaired and then a crack at the junction of the rear addition flank wall and the main house was repaired, together with a crack in the first floor bathroom. Chronology of the claim was:

- Discovery Summer 2010

- Claim notified September 2010

- Drains repaired December 2010

- Superstructure repaired January 2011.



Cracks in the rear addition have been monitored since February 2012. Only the eaves/bathroom crack has moved significantly during that time; it has opened and closed by +/- 0.75 millimetres.



Given the evidence to date, it seems likely that the superstructure was repaired before the building had settled down. If so instructed, I would prepare a Schedule of Repairs which includes filling cracks with cementitious resin, inserting HeliBars across vertical and raking cracks, replacing plaster in the vicinity of horizontal cracks over Exmet 95s lath, and refreshing decorations in the affected rooms. It may also be prudent to tie the rear addition rear wall back to the floors.

He suggested I send these comments to my insurer which I have done, and once again they have appointed C********* L******, the same firm as before.

I really don't trust these people to do a decent job. Do I have to accept CL, or can I get the structural engineer to specify and supervise repairs?

[Interlaken]

Contact your insurer with your fears over CL.

Personally if it were me I would go for belt and braces and underpin in the traditional manner and use helibar even if I had to pay some towards this myself. If you consider the value of the property the cost is minimal.

I don't know why people make such a song and dance about underpinning - it is labour intensive with the excavating/proping but he materials are cheap and when done properly it is the answer.

[JK0]

Thanks Interlaken.

My insurers have handed all claim handling over to CL. The only person you get through to at NFU is the dopey girls who take your money in the local offices.

I get the impression that CL try everything first before they 'let' you underpin. The guy from CL showed up yesterday, and now wants to dig a test pit next Thursday to check for neighbours' tree roots.

Regarding underpinning, my main problem is finding a trustworthy builder in London who won't rip me off.

edit: Also, of course the disruption to my tenants.

[Interlaken]

Ah yes the old 'test pit' trick - anything to get out of paying up for the work to be done properly. Try CHECKATRADE for your area re underpinning and get several quotes. There is no short way with this one apart from doing the homework.

Should not be too much distress to tenants - I find if you explain falling down home against a couple of days of leary builders they usually are OK.

[JK0]

Thanks Interlaken.

Would underpinning require the concrete kitchen floor to be taken up, or could it all be done from outside? I won't be able to underpin the party wall from outside. There is alley access to the back garden.

Should I underpin the back of the main house as well, or just the rear wing?

[JK0]

Today the loss adjuster's tame contractor turned up to do a test pit. Surprisingly they did find a tree root in it, and took away a sample. I asked if they wanted to take a sample from neighbouring trees to compare the DNA, but they said someone else will be along to do that.

Also, next week presumably, they will be bringing a drilling rig over to install a datum at 6 metres deep.

I wonder how many more surveys and measurements will be needed before my house is repaired.

[Interlaken]

DNA of trees! What next? I don't think the discoverers of the double helix had this in mind back in 1953 but I just shows how insurers will do anything to avoid a claim.

[platforminc]

Sorry to jump over this thread, do you think the underpinning once done will affect the house nagatively apart from just higher premiums ? Especially in the London area ?

Secondly, there is a company that done the unperpinning of a house i was interested in, they seem to be used by CL quite a lot, they are called Concrete Foundations Ltd. I cant personally vouch for them, I'm only giving the information on the basis that they done the underpinning of 2 houses that are next to each other via an insurance claim.

They also done that of a house from a housing association, who said the quality of the work was good. I will suggest you do your own due dilligence too.
Thanks.

[midlandslandlord]

Snip Snip Snip

[Claymore]

JKO - surely if the house needs underpinning, the insurer should pay ?

I'm really interested in this post - I live in South East London and have a beautiful victorian house and since I've lived here - 17 years, I keep getting this hairline crack - my dad fills it every few years and repaints - it's never got 'bad' but I get paranoid!! Also, I've had a bit of 'rucking' on my wallpaper downstairs which is on a wall joining the dining room but directly under the room with the crack.