Problems with your house?

Get the right advice!

WIDE
GENERAL LINE
OF FRACTURING
POSITION OF LIKELY
MAXIMUM SUBSIDENCE
CRACKS CONTINUE
AROUND OPENINGS
NARROW
Cracks?
Subsidence?
Heave?
What are settlement, subsidence and heave?
Settlement is the normal downwards movement of a building into the
ground simply as a result of its own weight on the ground. Most new
buildings experience some minor settlement during the frst year or two
after construction until they fnally stabilise. If major structural alterations are
carried out on an existing property, again some minor settlement may occur
while the ground readjusts itself to the new weight pattern of the property.
Settlement may cause minor cracking but this is usually not serious or
progressive.
Subsidence is the downward movement of a building foundation caused
by loss of support of the site beneath the foundation. In other words,
subsidence is caused by the ground moving away from the underside of the
foundations of a property. This may be due to a variety of reasons which are
explained later in this leafet.
Heave is, in simple terms, the opposite of subsidence and is caused by the
ground pressing up against the foundations of a property and forcing the
foundations upwards.
The effect of subsidence or heave on a property is that it may develop cracks
or may distort - sometimes it does both.
Why are subsidence and heave important for
householders?
Over the last 30 years or so properties affected by subsidence have proved
diffcult to sell, but things have started to change. Nevertheless, lenders
and insurers are still cautious about properties that display evidence of
movement. If you are likely to want to sell your property then it is important
to have any subsidence or heave damage assessed, and attended to if
necessary. This is best done sooner rather than later because if the problem
is only identifed when you are selling or buying, it may cause serious delay to
your transaction.
Like fre, escape of water or storm damage, subsidence and heave are
standard risks covered (subject to policy wording) by the majority of domestic
building insurance policies, although sometimes damage to ground bearing
concrete slabs or fences or garden walls are not covered. Indeed for
owners who have mortgages, it is usually a compulsory requirement of the
terms of the loan that the property is insured against certain risks, including
subsidence and heave.
Settlement damage is not normally covered by household insurers.
What causes subsidence and heave?
Subsidence is much more common than heave. The most common causes
are:
- Drying out and shrinkage of clay subsoil beneath the house foundations
during drought periods, such as exceptionally hot summers. Heave is
normally caused by the swelling of clay during wet winters after
hot summers.
- The effect of certain types of trees close to a property which can
aggravate the subsidence/heave situation where clay subsoil exists.
- Leaking drains and water mains can soften the ground beneath house
foundations, or even wash away the material from beneath the
foundations, thus causing subsidence.
- Properties built close to sloping ground may suffer subsidence if the
ground tends to move down the slope even if the movement of
the slope is only slight!
- Chalk ground can develop cavities (swallow holes) and cause subsidence.
- Mining can cause subsidence to property above and adjacent
to the works.
How can subsidence/heave be dealt with?
The frst step is to establish that the damage is actually due to subsidence or
heave. Buildings can suffer movement and cracks for many other reasons,
for example due to thermal movement or differential settlement. If subsidence
or heave is the cause of the damage, then three questions should be asked:
- Has the movement stopped? If it has, there is clearly no point carrying
out any work other than making good the cracks and then redecorating,
but the fact that it has stopped will have to be confrmed by a suitably
qualifed and experienced expert. This may require the property
being monitored for a specifed period - but usually for no more than 12 to
24 months.
- If movement is continuing, can the cause be identifed and attended to?
Perhaps only drain repairs or tree management is required this
is cheaper and much less troublesome than underpinning.
- Finally, is there any alternative to underpinning the affected part of the
property?
Underpinning is expensive, disruptive and time-consuming so, if possible, it
should be avoided.
Irrespective of which option is adopted, a new insurer (and a future mortgage
lender) will want confrmation from a technical expert that the problem has
been investigated thoroughly and that further structural movement is unlikely
before they accept continuing or future liability for the property.
Should you tell your insurer if you suspect your
property is suffering from subsidence or heave?
If you note any evidence internally or externally to suggest your property
is suffering from subsidence/heave movement, you should inform your
insurance company immediately. It is a condition of most insurance policies
that prompt notifcation is required. This is also sensible because the sooner
the problem is investigated and dealt with, the less inconvenience and cost
will be involved.
Should you tell your mortgage lender (building society,
bank)?
Not normally, as your lender will refer the matter to your insurer, but certainly
start by informing your lender if you are not sure who your insurer is.
What will happen when you report it?
Your insurer will require you to fll out a claim form and will appoint an
experienced technical expert to investigate the claim. Such an expert is likely
to be either a Loss Adjuster or a Chartered Engineer, or both.
Will you have to pay anything towards the
investigation?
Like car accident claims, subsidence claims have an excess, at present
most insurers limit this to the frst 1000 of the cost of the work actually
carried out on the property. Very rarely does an insurance company charge
a householder for the actual investigation of the claim by the insurer; that
is usually done at the insurers expense. Typical remedial work carried out
might be repair of drains, felling or pruning tress, underpinning foundations,
redocoration, etc. Provided you are adequately insured in accordance with
your policy, the insurer usually pays everything above the excess.
Will the value of the property be reduced because it
has suffered from subsidence?
Nobody can guarantee the value of a house; 20 or 25 years ago it would
frequently be the case that a property which had suffered from subsidence/
heave was signifcantly down valued, even when underpinning or other
foundation remedial works had been carried out. This is less likely to be so
now because insurers and lenders are more knowledgeable about the effects
of subsidence/heave and how to deal with them.
Will you be able to sell the property if it has suffered
from subsidence/heave?
Guarantees that further subsidence/heave will not re-occur can never be
given, but there is no doubt that a property which has been professionally
investigated and for which a reasonably conclusive expert report is
available is likely to be sold much more easily than one which has not been
investigated and reported upon. A summary of the reports fndings should
be contained in a Certifcate of Structural Adequacy (CSA) issued by the
expert on completion of the investigation and of any remedial works.
Is there anything which you can do to minimise
inconvenience and problems when you do come to
sell?
If your property has suffered from subsidence or is likely to do so then it is
advisable to remain with your present insurer. Once insurance cover has
been removed from a property which has had subsidence/heave, it is often
very diffcult to get insurance cover reinstated and this will defnitely affect a
potential sale.
If your property has suffered from subsidence/heave and this has been
investigated and dealt with and a CSA is available, that is very useful. Usually
existing insurers are then prepared to continue insurance on the house to the
new purchaser.
This means that the house has insurance which the purchasers lender will
consider essential before granting a mortgage to the new owner.
Will you have to reduce the price of your property to
sell it if it has suffered subsidence/heave?
This will depend very much on the market for houses at the time that you
come to sell, but any diffculties or price reductions may be minimised by:
- Existing subsidence insurance continuing through the sale to
the new owner, and
- An expert report and CSA giving your property a clean bill of health after
the problem has been appraised, and if necessary dealt with.
Who will advise you?
The contract of insurance is between yourself (as the householder) and your
buildings insurance company. Normally your insurance company will appoint
the expert and pay for that expert to investigate the alleged subsidence/
heave. If you wish to appoint your own expert, then obviously you are quite
free to do so, but you should make sure that you do appoint someone who is
experienced in investigating subsidence/heave.
You should seek the insurance companys approval for the use of your expert
or you may fnd that you have to pay the fees of your own expert without
being able to claim them back from your insurer. If you disagree with what the
insurance company appointed expert says, you may feel justifed in getting
your own second opinion.
Should you chop down your trees?
There is no point in chopping down trees unless they are causing the
problem, or are likely to do so. Even if there are trees nearby not all ground
conditions are such as to result in subsidence. The local authority may have
a Tree Preservation Order on your trees and it would, therefore, be illegal to
remove or seriously damage the trees without permission.
Trees also add quality to an area, so removing them may detrimentally affect
the value of your property. In any event, it is probable that you will only be
able to remove your own trees - you may not remove neighbours or Local
Authority trees without their permission.
The best approach is not to heavily prune or remove your own trees until you
have received expert advice. Your neighbour may have trees which could be
just as much of a threat to your property. If the ground beneath your property
is susceptible to movement because adjacent trees have extracted moisture
from it, then removal of the trees may result in heave of the ground. This can
also be damaging to the property, so expert advice is essential.
Should you water the ground around your trees to
provide them with the moisture which they require
during hot weather?
During droughts the authorities normally forbid householders to use water
on gardens. In addition, the mechanism by which water passes into
clay ground and is then abstracted by root systems is complex. You will
probably be wasting your time watering the ground.
Should your drains be tested and repaired?
Get expert advice before you undertake any work on your drains - it may
not be necessary.
Should you appoint a Structural Engineer to advise?
Make sure the person you appoint has the appropriate experience.
Structural Engineers are generally considered to be the most appropriate
experts to advise on subsidence/heave matters, but not all people who claim
to be Structural Engineers are members of the Institution, nor do all members
of the Institution necessarily have experience of dealing with subsidence/
heave. To ensure that the person you are dealing with is a genuine structural
engineer with knowledge of subsidence/heave ask for proof of their
experience or visit www.fndanengineer.com This is the Institutions website
where only companies with at least one member of the Institution can
register their details.
The Institution of Structural Engineers has made a special study of the
subject and has published recognised authoritative advice. Subsidence of
low-rise buildings is available from the Institutions website www.shop.
istructe.org. Some qualifed members of other professional Institutions, such
as the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors, are also experienced in dealing with subsidence and heave.
Further information:
The Institution of Structural Engineers
11 Upper Belgrave Street
London SW1X 8BH
tel +44(0)20 7235 4535 | fax: +44(0) 7235 4294
email mail@istructe.org.uk | web istructe.org
Registered Charity Commission for England and Wales No. 233392 and in Scotland
No. SCO38293. | July 2010