Underpinning is a foundation repair method used when your home’s foundation has settled. This is usually due to expansive soils, poor irrigation or other factors.
During the underpinning process, the existing foundation is extended to provide extra depth and inherent support. There are a variety of methods that can be used to achieve this goal.
Cost
Underpinning is not a cheap fix, but it is essential to ensure your home’s safety and stability. However, the cost can vary greatly depending on a number of factors.
Firstly, the location of your property and its soil type are important factors to consider when calculating the cost of underpinning. Moreover, it’s also advisable to take into account the cost of labour and materials.
Another factor to take into consideration is the type of underpinning method that you choose. Conventional methods such as concrete underpinning tend to be quite invasive and disruptive, which can be very expensive.
Alternatively, you can choose chemical underpinning that’s far less invasive and can be completed in one day. In addition, this method can be a more cost-effective option for most properties.
Time
Underpinning is an under-soil foundation repair technique used to strengthen the support structure of a building. It’s most often associated with repairing deficient or failing foundations, but it can also be used when adding floors to an existing home, subdividing a property into multiple units, or even rehabilitating an old structure.
Underpinning involves excavating the soil beneath a building, installing piers and prop arrangements, and filling it with concrete. This can take a while, but it’s usually worth the wait.
The time needed to complete an underpinning project depends on the type of soil under the foundation and what method is being used. There are several types of underpinning methods available, so it’s important to consult a structural engineer before selecting the one that is best suited to your home.
Most of the underpinning methods will involve excavation of the ground beneath a building, but some of them can cause severe disruption to the foundation. If you choose a method that requires extensive digging, it’s a good idea to hire a contractor who can ensure that the work is completed correctly.
Safety
Underpinning is one of the essential ways to strengthen the foundations of houses. It also helps to stabilize buildings that have weakened foundations due to natural calamities like earthquakes and landslides.
Underpinning works by excavating soil from beneath an existing foundation and then replacing it with concrete. The excavation is inspected by a design engineer and building control surveyor.
The new soil is reinforced with sand and cement. This creates a strong, sound foundation that is suitable for the weight of the new structure.
Besides protecting your home from natural disasters, underpinning can make the house more secure for your family. The extra strength can help your house withstand shifting land and debris that can destroy the foundation or even collapse it.
When undergoing underpinning, safety measures should be taken to ensure the health and safety of employees. These include having proper ventilation in pits, making escape routes clear, and providing adequate backing to the pits.
Insurance
Underpinning is a specialist type of insurance policy that can help to secure your home, and it’s something you might want to consider if the foundations of your property are prone to subsidence.
Subsidence happens when soils dry out or shrink over time, leading to downward movement of the building’s foundations. It can be caused by a number of factors, including large trees nearby that might cause damage to the soil, drainage issues or even plumbing leaks that have not been fixed.
Typically, subsidence can be resolved fairly easily without the need for expensive ground works. This includes correcting drainage issues, removing or cutting back trees and fixing plumbing leaks.
In most cases, however, underpinning is a last resort and should be undertaken only after all other methods of stabilising have failed. If it’s done correctly, underpinning can make your home safer and help you avoid costly repairs in the future.
