4 Ways Homeowners Can Reinforce the Foundations of Their Existing Property

When contemplating the aspects to consider when purchasing a property, homeowners are faced with many decisions that can be incredibly nerve-wracking. Before embarking on a property purchase, there is much to scrutinise from the location, surrounding neighbourhoods, the catchment area of local schools/colleges/universities, the crime rate in the community, and many more. Some of this you can find out by talking to local residents using services such as Webinar Care, while visiting the area at different times is also a must.

Yet, one consideration often overlooked is the foundation of the home you intend to purchase. Unfortunately, foundations are often left unthought about until a problem arises, leading to homeowners making costly subsidence claims on their insurance. In England and Wales alone, subsidence is estimated to affect 20% of residential properties, with the South-East particularly affected due to the soil conditions.

To prevent the nightmare-inducing effects of subsidence, homeowners must consider investing in reinforcing the foundations of their existing property long before they start noticing tell-tale signs of floods, winds, and general soil erosion appear. Fortunately, there are many ways homeowners can reinforce the foundations of their existing property, from underpinning to mudjacking – we outline some of the most effective ways below.

Underpinning

Depending on the severity of the situation, homeowners might use a process called underpinning to reinforce the foundations of their existing property. In construction or renovation, underpinning is the name given to a process which aims to strengthen, repair, or increase the depth of an existing building foundation.

Subsidence is more common in drier areas or places affected by prolonged dry spells. This type of weather can cause the minerals within clay soils to crack, shrink, and shift, causing the ground supporting the building to become unstable. This is a unique period for them due to the dry weather and the impact it has on Subsidence and underpinning.

Underpinning a house is considered a major construction/renovation project and might be necessary for various reasons. Whether the original building foundations aren’t robust or stable enough or if the soil supporting the building has changed due to subsidence, underpinning can be achieved by extending the foundation’s depth or breadth or distributing the load across a larger area.

Like most methods of construction or renovation, there are various approaches that homeowners or subsidence repair specialists can take, from traditional methods like mass concrete underpinning, piled underpinning, and jet grouting to alternative methods like geopolymer solutions. Unlike traditional underpinning methods, geopolymer solutions are super-fast, completed in several days, and can be used for various geotechnical applications like soil stabilisation and re-levelling of floors.

If you’d like to discover more about this time-saving alternative to underpinning, consider visiting the website of its inventor and leading subsidence repair specialist, Geobear. Over on their site, you’ll be able to look at video reviews, register for CPD and webinars, and discover the underpinning services from Geobear. Consider visiting their website or contacting them directly for more information and see how their innovative services could help strengthen your property today.

Mudjacking

Despite what the name might suggest, the process of mudjacking doesn’t use mud; instead, it got its name because the process is like when you jack a car up from underneath to change a flat tire. The process is accomplished by drilling strategically placed holes into a piece of concrete and using a portable pump or a flexible hose to pump the pits full of a mixture of cement, water, and dirt to raise any slabs that might have settled.

Once the holes are filled, the mixture that has been pumped underneath the concrete becomes pressurised and causes a hydraulic reaction that helps to raise the piece of concrete that is no longer aligned into a corrected position. Also referred to as concrete levelling, slabjacking, or pressure grouting, mudjacking can be a viable option for homeowners suffering from a range of concrete-related problems like crumbling curbs, repairing pavements, and foundation settling.

Despite being a more effective alternative to ripping out and replacing old concrete, mudjacking has several pros and cons and can be complicated. Therefore, if homeowners decide to go down this route, we suggest enlisting the services of knowledgeable professionals to carry out the work on your behalf. Even if you consider yourself a competent DIY-er, if one thing goes wrong, it can damage the existing cement that can be costlier to replace or repair than the original damage.

Jacketing Of Foundations

Another popular way homeowners can reinforce an existing property’s foundations is jacketing of foundations. This process is typically only used when a property has columns that require strengthening in the case that additional loads are being added to the building, such as through expansions etc.

To ensure that the existing wall is robust enough to accommodate an expansion, a concrete jacket is constructed around the existing footings of the building, which reinforces (or in some cases widens) the foundation that is already present to ensure that the maximum foundation pressure does not exceed the recommended amount and that the wall is strong enough for the work carried out.

House Lifting And Levelling  

Commonly used as a way to avoid flood damage, house lifting and levelling is another way that homeowners can reinforce the foundations of an existing building or structure. The process involves placing evenly-spaced jacks underneath a building which are then connected to a hydraulic machine which enables the jacks to be raised simultaneously.

Once the building has been raised enough, a temporary wooden structure (also known as cribbing) is built to support the house while works are being carried out. As well as helping homeowners reinforce the foundations of the building, home lifting and levelling can be used for various reasons, from moving the property to a different location to adding a new floor, making it a good solution for many common problems.

When the property has been lifted, you can either move or gain access underneath the property to carry out the works you require. Yet, just like the other options on this list, house lifting and levelling has advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, factors like the property’s condition, the type of soil surrounding it, and the actual damage mustn’t be overlooked so that you can determine whether this reinforcement method is suitable for your property.

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