A customer was experiencing difficulties with a 3 bedroom semi-detached house based in Towcester, Northamptonshire
Due to the geology of the ground and large trees in close proximity to the house the property had become subject to subsidence.
The client approached their insurance company who arranged for the movement to be monitored by Structural Engineers for two years. Helibars were added to the house and two large trees removed but this did not resolve the problem. At this point, no further home insurance policy could be offered.
The client was extremely worried about the property and the future. Following the death of her husband she wanted to sell the home to move closer to her children.
A survey valued the property at half its market value. In its current state a buyer was unable to get a mortgage or home insurance cover.
Alternative Methods
The home owner’s alternative solutions were much more costly (in the region of an additional £15,000 compared to the Geobear solution) and would have taken approximately 18 months longer for the work to be completed.
Injection tubes to a depth of 2m – very little disruption
The additional costs and time incurred would have consisted of additional crack monitoring (which could also mean extended superstructure damage during this phase) and a traditional underpinning scheme which would have involved the client looking for alternative accommodation (approx 3 months). Further costs linked to this would be the need for temporary storage and removals.
The waiting, stress and frustration this all brings should not be ignored.
Geobear Solution
Geobear considered the background and reviewed a site investigation report to understand the ground conditions and in particular the plasticity index (PI) of the clay soils which had caused the issue. A site visit identified restricted access to the area affected, but hoses from our truck reach up to 100m to the treatment area so this was not a problem.
We stabilised 13 linear metres of walling to a depth of 2 metres below foundation using our ground improvement solution . The work was completed in 1 day.
Laser monitoring used to indicate stabilised ground
Now the property is stabilised the home will be open to mortgages and insurance again. It also means the value of the property will be much higher than had been quoted previously.
We also offered our 10 year design, workmanship and material warranty. The was a real benefit to the client as this can be passed on in the event of a sale.
The client can now think about the future again as there is real hope of a sale to move closer to family.
Customer Testimonial
I was very pleased with the results of the procedure, Ged who did the initial inspection was very helpful and friendly and the guys who did the work were great, my house is very difficult to access but the guys found a solution, they kept me informed throughout the day as to what was taking place, they were all very friendly and cleaned up as they went, in fact when they left there was very little evidence that they had ever been here, my house was actually lifted by the procedure and many of the cracks closed up considerably, bedroom doors now shut properly and a window that had a gap in the frame is now gap free! Very pleased with the results, would highly recommend Geobear to others.
