More than four decades ago, this quaint Sydney Inner West suburban home was converted into a GP's surgery to serve the local community. Over the years, a multitude of large cracks had formed throughout the building and we were called by the owner with concerns about its structure.

On arrival, we observed a multitude of large cracks throughout the building, especially in the front verandah area. In fact, the supports holding the roof up above the verandah were so weak they could have been pushed over by hand.

We observed that the extended driveway and new car park had been installed without consideration for where rainwater would end up. Coincidentally, a downpour of rain resulting in a flash flood during our assessment confirmed this.

Rainwater pooled against the walls of the building and without a drainage system installed, the water had no opportunity to siphon away. Instead it was soaking into the soil. We took a closer look at the ground and found the soil to be completely eroded and subsiding. Movement of the ground was the cause of the structure's instability.

With the roof ready to collapse, we completed our assessment and devised solutions quickly. As the eroded soil and subsidence was the source of all the building's issues, we started by stabilising the ground with our unique geopolymer resins, GeoPoly™.

After solidifying the foundations upon which the house sat, we installed our structural steel rods into both the external and internal layers of brick wall to stop any further cracking. We also removed decades old concrete and mortar from between bricks, replacing it with fresh mortar for extra strength and stability. To finalise the project, we repaired all plaster work inside the house and repainted both the inside and outside of the house for an aesthetically pleasing finish.

Our methods resulted in a stronger house. Due to the injection of our geopolymer resins, the ground underneath the house does not absorb water anymore. Movement of the ground is no longer a risk. In turn, the building's structure is sound and the roof is steady and stable.

Running a practice, a shop or an office out of an older building that's cracking? Ground movement under a trading premises is fixed the same way — underpinning by resin injection through coin-sized holes, no digging. A free assessment measures the movement and finds what's driving it.