major cracking to home

[Lily]

I'm a bit freaked out! Major cracks have appeared inside my house and to the front. The insurance company say it isn't subsidence but historic movement. Apparently a Helibar needs to be used at the front of the property but I don't understand how this would help extensive cracking throughout the rest of the house?

I should have asked the surveyor more about this when he came last november but didn't and the insurance company have closed the case, so if anyone can help me understand this problem I would really appreciate it.

L

[Penguin68]

This may explain it

http://www.helifix.co.uk/products/remedial-products/helibar/

Once cracking starts it can move around to points of weakness - stablilise the source of the problem and the other areas are less likely to worsen - hence maybe the suggestion that it is the front of the house only which needs treatment. But I would get that properly checked.

[nunhead_man]

Hmmmm - suspect there will be lots of movement just now as clay has been drying out not the least as the water table falls as a result of abstraction for drinking water etc

But do get a surveyor from your buildings insurance company now - usually no charge and sooner rather than later is best.

Let us know ho you get on?

[Shaila Shah]

Lily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm a bit freaked out! Major cracks have appeared

> inside my house and to the front. The insurance

> company say it isn't subsidence but historic

> movement. Apparently a Helibar needs to be used

> at the front of the property but I don't

> understand how this would help extensive cracking

> throughout the rest of the house?

Hi,

we had something similar in 2010. The cause? Very tall leylandi trees in a neighbouring garden which were only 40 foot away from our house. It had been quite dry for months and the thinking was that the roots had spread even further looking for moisture and this caused cracks to appear overnight which deepened and lengthened within weeks. The trees were cut down and the problem resolved. But we still have a potential problem with neighbouring sychamore trees - not yet cut despite requests going back to 2010!

>

> I should have asked the surveyor more about this

> when he came last november but didn't and the

> insurance company have closed the case, so if

> anyone can help me understand this problem I would

> really appreciate it.

>

> L

[ed_pete]

I know that in the past Godden's have been recommended highly when it comes to structural issues.

Their website is www.goddenstructural.com

Could be worth contacting them if you want a second opinion.

[PN33]

www.findanengineer.com

[Eliza.D]

Hi.

I have been in my house around 7 yrs and when we first moved I started to notice cracks, I asked a builder to have a look and he said it was normal for a house of this age. Around the same time I read an article in the news papers about subsidence which gave some useful numbers, one of which I did contact but never took any further as the cracks didn?t get any worse and have never been a problem but the company was called the Subsidence Claims Advisory Bureau (www.subsidencebureau.com).

E.D

[Penguin68]

as the water table falls as a result of abstraction for drinking water etc

Outwith current issues of drought, the London water table has in fact been rising in recent years as major water extractors for e.g. industry and brewing have closed/ moved away. Forum posts in (recently) past years have been about cellars and basements starting to flood and be water damaged.

It is often the removal of trees that can cause (slight) structural damage, as water is not taken up by the treees leading to local water-logging and movement.

It really does depend where the trees are in relationship to the house - in hilly ED a tree up the hill may well have roots which are interfering with the house (and services) - downhill and it is most likely the roots will be too far down compared with the house foundations to cause much damage. Shallow rooted trees like birches also have quite weak root systems.

Cypruses (which are what leylandi are) have quite deep root systems, but if uphill from a house could cause problems.

Older (Edwardian and back) houses are sort-of built to move a bit, their construction is quite forgiving. More modern houses are often built in a more rigid way - while their foundations will be much better they can be temperamental.

Finally loft-work etc. can place new strains on house structures.

[spongebob]

Does the road you live on have speed humps on it?

[esmeonline]

Hi Lily

Following on from ed_pete's suggestion, I wanted to say that David and Paul Godden carried out a structural repair in our property early last year and I can't recommend them highly enough. We really appreciated their experience, professionalism and hard work.

I don't often post here but know how worried we were when we saw cracking. I found the Goddens through the forum, so wanted to return the favour. I hope it all sorts out soon, good luck!

[Lily]

Thankyou all for responding to my plea. The issue is not because of trees, reading what has been said here and talking to people it seems that the problem is historical movement (which the surveyor did say. I think it had this problem before I bought the house - about 7yrs ago - and the previous owners did a cosmetic repair and so it has returned. I'm going to get a builder to fit the helibar.

Once again thanks for your input.

L