How to prevent your house from sinking

In a previous post about subsidence, we discussed 5 of the top reasons your house might start sinking and in turn, take on structural damage. If you read that post and are now worried, relax. There ARE a variety of ways in which you can safeguard your house from sinking. These preventative measures don’t cost an arm or a leg and are based on common sense.

Following through on these techniques will save you thousands of dollars, and years worth of headaches.

Inspect your drains

Over a lengthy period of time, the drains around or underneath your house may crack and leak. Cracked or broken drains can run excessive amounts of water into the foundational soil that keeps your house level and upright. Eroded soil, aerated soil and voids under your footings as a result of bad drainage are your house’s worst enemy. To stop your house from sinking, make sure your drains are always up to scratch. Have them checked and repaired on a regular basis.

Avoid tree roots or STOP them from getting close

Large plants and trees consume significant amounts of water from the ground to stay alive. As plants and trees draw liquid from the soil, the soil becomes aerated and crumbly, contributing to a higher likelihood your house will sink.

If you’re thinking about planting some trees or large plants around your house, don’t plant them too close. If trees and plants are already causing issues for your house, root barriers can be installed into the ground. They’re underground walls made from a wire mesh which can be purchased in a roll form. And if the trees and plants are already overwhelming your property, give your tree surgeon a call.

Clean your roof gutters regularly

All too often, the cause of a sinking house goes back to clogged up gutters. When packed to the brim with leaves and other junk, rain water has nowhere else to go but over the sides of the house, down the walls and directly into the soil. The water eventually pools underneath the footing of the house where the soil erodes and causes the house to sink. By directing liquids to all the right places by keeping your roof gutters nice and clean you’ll be keeping your house from sinking.

Get an annual dilapidation report

Cracks in the walls are symptoms of a sinking house. If you’re seeing minor cracks around your house, call a structural engineer in to give your house a walk-through inspection and put an annual dilapidation report together. The structural engineer will make note of any cracks that may have appeared and will also know to look in places that you don't.

Having made note of all the cracks in your house will allow you to keep an eye on if they’re growing or not. And if they do grow, you’ll know to check for other problems like blocked roof gutters, broken drainage and tree roots.

Inject geopolymer resins

One of the most reliable ways to stop your house from sinking is to inject geopolymer resins directly into the ground underneath your house. When the geopolymer resins have set, they compact aerated or damaged soil and become rock solid. They’re a sure-fire way of stopping your house from sinking because they block out water and tree roots too. We have the perfect Geopolymer resin solution in our very own GeoPoly™. It doesn’t take long to inject and doesn’t cost too much either.