Tips When Planning an Underpinning Project

You might panic if you suddenly notice cracks running along the walls of your house, and the doors and windows start jamming. However, uncertainty is usually stressful, and you'll likely feel better once you get to the root of the issues and discover how serious they are. Your house might need underpinning, or it might not. Here are some tips for dealing with this problem.

Structural Engineer

Planning an underpinning project requires a lot of experts. However, one of the most important ones is the structural engineer. They'll inspect and analyse your house and what is happening to it. The structural engineer may use a soil expert to analyse the ground and provide a report.

The structural engineer will determine what is causing the symptoms in the building and recommend a solution. This solution may or may not involve underpinning. It's crucial that they give an independent assessment and don't have any vested interests in what happens next. Sometimes, problems with a house foundation are due to unstable clayey soils, and solutions other than underpinning may be possible.

What Does Underpinning Involve?

However, the engineer's analysis might determine that your house needs residential underpinning. This usually entails the ground being excavated around the existing pier footings that reach into the earth. Often, the footings will be extended deeper where the soil is more stable, using concrete and steel. The contractors may be able to jack up the house to level it.

Resin Injections

Sometimes an alternate resolution may be possible. A resin formula can be injected into unstable soil so that it can firmly carry your house. This process is less intrusive than excavation as it won't involve massive holes being dug around the property. However, you should refer to the structural engineer's assessment as to whether this will resolve the problem in the long term.

What Will the Structural Engineer Do?

You may wonder what to expect when you book a structural engineer inspection. They'll come to your house and record any damage to the building, such as cracks, by checking inside and outside. They'll measure the floor levels and work out if and where the house is sinking. They'll probably want to see any past engineer and soil test reports, and they may organise another soil evaluation. They will also check to see if underground cables or pipes are affecting your house by running a "dial before you dig" report to find out what's underneath.

For more information on residential underpinning, contact a company near you.