Preserving a heritage home after earthquake damage in St Kilda

This charming 80-year-old California Bungalow in St Kilda, Melbourne, faced a major crisis after the 2021 earthquake. The 5.9-magnitude seismic activity caused significant earthquake damage, leaving the veranda’s iconic brick arches sagging in the centre, with bricks hanging by a thread. As is common in older domestic housing, the structural elements—including the exterior wall and support columns—were severely compromised.

The homeowners, determined to avoid a full knockdown, began searching for an earthquake damage repair approach that would retain the building’s character while restoring safety and structural stability.

Addressing severe structural damage and unstable foundations

When Buildfix assessed the property, the extent of the damage was clear. Small, pre-existing cracks had widened, the bricks in the veranda’s arch had slipped, and the supporting columns were dangerously unstable. The foundation beneath the home had shifted significantly, leaving the structure vulnerable to further settlement and collapse.

The challenge required a combined approach: to stabilise the foundation and restore structural integrity to the delicate brickwork. This meant addressing the foundational instability with millimetre precision while reinforcing the fragile arches and columns without causing further damage. The solution also needed to preserve the bungalow’s historic charm while ensuring long-term stability and safety.

Precision repair and structural reinforcement without demolition

To resolve these issues, Buildfix implemented a meticulous, multi-step approach that combined two advanced techniques: GeoPoly™ GER60 resin injection for foundation stabilisation and HelicalBar™ reinforcement for the brickwork.

First, we secured the unstable brick arches with temporary steel props to prevent further movement during the repairs. Next, we injected our GeoPoly™ GER60 resin deep beneath the walls, stabilising the ground and carefully raising the foundation with millimetre precision. This realigned the walls, arches, and columns without placing additional stress on the fragile brickwork.

Using our HelicalBar™ T316 system, we reinforced the arches and reconnected cracks in the walls, ensuring structural integrity without removing a single brick. Finally, we meticulously realigned the veranda’s arch, restoring its perfect curved surface and eliminating the sagging that had plagued the home. To complete the restoration, we matched the mortar seamlessly to preserve the bungalow’s original aesthetic.

The combination of these methods not only addressed the foundation issues but also provided the strength and stability needed to fully restore the arches and supporting structures, making the home look as though the earthquake had never happened.

Restored charm and safety after earthquake

Choosing Buildfix over a knockdown-and-rebuild saved the homeowners significant costs and months of disruption. The complete restoration was finished in just three days, with precision foundation raising narrowing the wall cracks and the HelicalBar™ restoring the arches’ structural integrity.

The realignment of the arch was so precise that it looked as though the earthquake had never happened. The homeowners, who had been forced to use the back door for safety, were thrilled to once again use their front entrance with confidence.

“This looks much better than we ever expected,” they said. Seeing similar wall cracks in your home? A free assessment tells you whether it's cosmetic or structural — and what wall crack repair can do.