Residential

A certificate of structural adequacy (CSA) is a document issued following the completion of remedial works for subsidence.  The certificate will include, Terms of Appointment,  Description of damage to the property,  Cause of damage to the property,  Mitigation measures,  Description of the works completed.    A Chartered or Structural Engineer signs off the work, and […]

Geobear’s Infrastructure Manager for the North, Darren Scott, was concerned with the presence of cracks around the bay window of his home. He called in his work colleagues for advice and to provide a solution to resolve the subsidence issue.  Darren lives in a village in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The geology of […]

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018) came into force on 20th March 2019. It is designed to ensure that all rented accommodation is fit for human habitation. The legislation requires landlords to meet their existing responsibilities with regard to property standards and safety. Landlords should ensure that their properties, including any common parts […]

The 2020 pandemic and finances The 2020 Coronoavirus pandemic has devastated economies across the world and left people extremely stressed about their finances, and household spending. There is no certainty about when things will resume as before, or if they ever will.  The UK Lockdowns have been announced with little warning meaning the fall in […]

This is a frequently asked question by those worried about subsidence. Building Surveyors and Structural Engineers use BRE guidelines to categorize, and this helps assessors determine whether the cracks are likely to affect the property and what repairs are required.  “BRE Digest 251, Assessment of damage in low- buildings” Category of damage,  Description of typical […]

For decades insurers have seen occasional yearly spikes in subsidence claims. These spikes typically follow major dry weather events and have happened once or twice a decade. To help predict whether a particular year will have a high number of subsidence claims, insurers and subsidence solutions providers look at weather data – the common data […]

In these unprecedented times, it will be a very different Summer to what we are accustomed to. In previous years most of our time is spent counting the days down until our Summer holidays. Government advice is changing all the time, but holidays abroad or in the UK will be limited due to the current […]

What causes Subsidence?  Think Jelly and marbles in a jar! Cohesive soil – Clay – Think jelly – Very fine platelets: 10,000 clay particles make up the thickness of a 10p coin (2mm) and the molecular forces hold water within their structure (cohesive) Non Cohesive soil – Granular soil; Gravel and Sand – Think marbles […]

Freya Chapman has successfully managed the Customer Service Team at Geobear UK for the last four years. It is now time for Freya, to take the next step in her career with Geobear. On Monday 1st June 2020, Freya commenced a training programme that will support her new role as an Area Manager for the […]

Finding out your property has a subsidence issue can be daunting and choosing a solution can be difficult.  This short article discusses five differences between the subsidence repairs solutions, underpinning, and geopolymer injection.  How do the methods solve the subsidence problem? Mass concrete underpinning aims to strengthen the foundation of an existing building or other […]

Subsidence is a homeowner’s worst nightmare. It can affect the structural safety of your home and it’s value. We are spending more time than ever at home, with the current lockdown, so there is no better time to make these 5 essential checks of your home.  Home Checklist,  1. Summer is coming and the Meteorological […]

The Meteorological Office Rainfall and Evaporation Calculation System (MORECS) is calculated from daily values of hours of sunshine, air temperature, vapour pressure, wind speed and rainfall, 2020 is ahead of 2003 and 2018 and on an upward trajectory. The continued intensification of soil moisture deficits (SMDs) and river flow recessions into early April, coupled with […]

Geobear in partnership with L&G and Sedgwick are delighted to announce we have won the award for Claims Initiative of the Year. The winners of the inaugural National Insurance Awards were announced at last night’s awards ceremony and gala dinner at London’s prestigious Waldorf Hilton Hotel. This is the third award presented in the last […]

The cost of subsidence With the changing climate, the past two years have seen an upsurge in subsidence affecting housing in the UK and this trend will continue. With 2.5 million properties, Housing Association’s require a fast solution that mitigates the need for properties to remain vacant or tenants decanting. In 2018-19 the government reported […]

The Times recently published an article about selling a home with subsidence.   A concerned homeowner contacted the publication, with their worry, “A neighbour’s tree has caused subsidence to my property: this is the second time this has happened. The first time was about 12 years ago: they cut down the offending tree and left […]

Heave is the phenomenon of the soil beneath a property expanding and pushing the ground upwards, which can cause structural damage to a building. Ground heave is the opposite of subsidence, which is when the ground sinks. This guide tells you all you need to know about heave. What causes heave? Heave is usually the […]

Tenant experience is a top priority for most Commercial Real Estate leaders. The on-demand economy is reshaping tenant expectations about how real estate is consumed, technology-enabled facilities and personalised experiences are already transforming the CRE industry. Today, creating superior experiences is not just about engaging the tenant. It is also about extending services to the […]

We’ve put together this video to help give you an idea of what to expect from Geobear when we come to work on your property. This was created on a live project over the course of one day and the fundamental procedure will be similar on the majority of projects we work on. If you’d […]

Here are the top 10 things you can do to increase the selling price of your house – from simple to a little more comprehensive. 1. Cleaning – it may sound obvious (but this is not always the case) Just as simple as it sounds – Clean. Would you buy a dirty house? It would […]

Geobear, in partnership with L&G and Sedgwick has won a second insurance industry award – Claims Partner of the Year. The prestigious Insurance Times Awards 2019 was held on Friday the 22nd November at the Grosvenor in London. Geobear won in the Claims Partner of the Year category; the category is designed to recognise claims, loss […]