Signs That Your Home is Subsiding & How to Deal with it


Subsidence is a word that no homeowner wants to hear. Whether you’ve had a prospective home surveyed, looking to sell your house or have resided at your property for many years, subsidence is something you hope you never have to deal with.

terraced houses

However, subsidence does occur and it can be a severe problem, hence why no time can be wasted when having it looked at and then rectified. But there’s a very specific, innovative method that’s used to treat subsidence and that service can be delivered by Geobear.

But before you choose to have subsidence treated, you must first understand what subsidence is, what to look for if you suspect subsidence might be occurring, and what might be causing the problem.

What is subsidence?

Subsidence occurs when the ground beneath a structure or building starts to sink or collapse, resulting in movement of the existing foundations.. Often, only one side of the property will sink, which will then cause cracks to appear both internally and externally, making the problem obvious to the property owner.

Subsidence shouldn’t be confused with ground heave, as this is where the ground moves upwards as opposed to downwards as a result of clay swelling. This issue should be addressed using a different method to that which rectifies subsidence.

How to spot subsidence

There are several signs of subsidence that’ll make themselves apparent throughout both the inside and the outside of your home. Often, they’re relatively obvious to spot, so if you find one or more of the following signs, then you should have the problem seen to as soon as possible.

Sinking or sloping floors and ceilings

This indicates that the ground beneath your home is sinking or collapsing. Depending on the severity of the slope or how far the floor has sunk, it can be rectified using the correct method. Although, you must not let it get to the point where the house could actually collapse.

Do not ignore sinking or sloping floors and ceilings as this is often one of the very first things that’ll happen if subsidence is occurring.

Cracks in walls, garden paths and driveways

On the external walls, cracks will often appear in a zig-zag pattern, following the mortar lines in the brickwork – in some instances the bricks will also crack. Subsidence cracks, whether found internally or externally, are usually big enough to fit a coin into.

crack in wall

It’s important to note, however, that hairline cracks inside the home is generally a normal phenomenon and nothing to worry about. But if they come along with any of the other signs in this list, then you should call out a professional to inspect the problem, just in case.

Windows or doors that are jammed or misaligned

Subsidence will cause all manner of problems around joins with regards to window and door fittings. Often, this can make them both hard to open and/or close – something else to look out for if you suspect your house is falling victim to subsidence.

Skirting boards are coming away from the wall

If subsidence is occurring, then you’ll start to notice significant gaps between the skirting board and the wall they’re fixed to. Where it can often be mistaken for being warped, especially if your skirting boards are wooden, it’s likely to be the former as opposed to the latter, unless there’s excess moisture in that particular area. Even so, you should have the house checked for subsidence, just to be on the safe side.

Puddles forming around the perimeter of the property

This can indicate a problem with the drainage system, but that also poses problems to the property’s foundations. Pooling or excess water can cause the soil to soften and destabilise, causing the foundations to shift. As the ground dries, it’ll then shrink, which could escalate the problem. If you spot this sign, you should get it looked at as soon as possible.

What causes subsidence?

Although it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing your home to subside, the professional who comes out to your home will have an idea as to what the problem could be. Some of the influential factors that cause subsidence include:

  • An excessive amount of moisture in the ground
  • Clay soil could lie underneath your property, which shrinks, cracks and shifts in the summer heat
  • The area you live in is prone to drought, as the drier to the ground is, the more likely it is that cracks may appear in your walls
  • There are trees and shrubs that are located nearby, as they’ll be absorbing the water from the ground beneath, therefore causing it to dry out
  • Leaking drains or water pipes as it’ll soften the surrounding ground. This could then cause the ground to compress and eventually sink under the weight of the house

Overflowing gutter.

How can subsidence be dealt with?

Subsidence can be a scary issue within the home, often being a potentially dangerous problem. That’s why many homeowners dread discovering it and subsequently find the dealing of it to be a scary situation, understandably. But you needn’t worry about the process when you look to Geobear for a subsidence solution.

By choosing Geobear to rectify the problem, your property’s foundations will be strengthened and restored back to its former stability, all within one-two days. The experts at Geobear will use a non-intrusive process to rectify the subsidence problem, and that involves a resin injection.

Firstly, the engineers will drill a 16mm hole into the ground beneath in order to reach the areas that have been affected by subsidence, all without having to gain access internally. Secondly, a geopolymer resin, which will expand within the soil and rapidly harden, is injected into the affected ground.

The resin cures almost immediately making it one of the most efficient and effective permanent subsidence solutions on the market. This particular method is also exceptionally clean, so you won’t have to worry about their specialists making a mess in and around your home when choosing Geobear.

There will be some instances, when choosing the resin injection technique, where you’ll see cracks start to disappear around your home, both internally and externally, as the resin expands and lifts the property’s foundations upwards. You might also notice that windows and doors that were once jammed or difficult to open and close will quickly return back to being fully functional once again.

If you need subsidence sorting around your home, then you’ll always be able to count on Geobear for a solution that’ll last a lifetime, together with an insurance-backed, 10 year guarantee on all work carried out, for your absolute peace of mind.

Geobear has a team of highly-skilled, fully-trained professionals at the helm of their operations, ensuring their customers are provided with a reliable, expert solution to their subsidence issue that’s guaranteed to last for many years to come.

Don’t let subsidence take over your property, look to Geobear to rectify the problem efficiently and effectively with the modern, innovative geopolymer resin injection method. You’ll then be able to relax and enjoy the comfort and safety of your own home once again.

For more information about how Geobear can help you today, get in touch with a member of their specialist team – they’re always happy to discuss the issue and talk you through exactly how the method works.