Can Drains Contribute to Subsidence in a house or building?

Maybe you are buying a house and you have received your Home Buyer’s Report. Or maybe you are living in your house for some time, and cracks have begun to appear in the walls and ceilings? It is always a little concerning to find out that your house is suffering from subsidence.

What is Subsidence and how does it occur?

Subsidence is caused by movement in the ground beneath the foundations of your property. It means that part of the house is sinking. The main symptom of subsidence is finding cracks.

However, not all cracks in your home will be caused by subsidence. Subsidence can be expensive and corrective treatments such as underpinning could make it difficult to get home insurance.

Leaking or Broken Drains Causing Subsidence?

Whilst many factors can contribute to subsidence, leaking drains and pipes are the second highest cause.

Drains are designed to divert water away from your property. Therefore, any leaks in your drainage pipes will cause water to pool in other areas, for example, underneath your home. The water can erode the soil under your home, or soften and weaken it, causing movement in the foundations of your property. Sand-based soil will suffer the most, as it is more vulnerable to water than other soils, such as clay.

How Does Subsidence Cause Cracks in Your Property?

When subsidence occurs the movement in the property will become uneven. One part of your property will be sinking further away from the rest and cracks start to appear

What Can You Do About Subsidence?

After a professional diagnosis subsidence in your property you should do is get a  CCTV Drain Survey.

A CCTV drain survey will check every drain pipe. If the drain survey finds that your drains are leaking  then you will need to have the drains repaired before taking any action on the damage to the property itself. Otherwise, the subsidence cracks are likely to reoccur.

We can carry out full CCTV drain inspections, surveys and drain repairs. Drain repairs  can be done with no-dig technology, meaning that excavation is not usually necessary.