Underpinning is not a mandatory process. It is not required by all properties, whether commercial or domestic. However, if your building’s structure is showing visible signs of being worn out and it doesn’t seem to be as strong as it used to be, then you certainly need to consider the process of Underpinning. And the right of contractors or expert groundworkers, will help you define whether it is the best solution for your given soil condition or something else would be better.
What is Underpinning?
Underpinning is the reinforcement of an existing building foundation. If your building or home has started showing cracks that are quite visible, then the building is definitely in need for an underpinning procedure. So what is done in this process?
Underpinning is done by installing footings underneath the existing foundation of the building.
With the help of a professional team of groundworks, the foundations or roots of your building or house are underpinned to accuracy and they become more powerful, promising to stand tall for the years to come. But why does the need for underpinning occur? Does it indicate poor piling done in the initial construction?
The answer is simple; it is absolutely natural. The structure of the soil is an ever changing element. It keeps altering all the time and over years, it changes largely. When the structure changes largely, due to any external changes, the need for underpinning occurs. It is not an easy task and it is very important to choose the right company to do the job for you as underpinning is not a child’s play. We highly recommend A and M Groundworks for underpinning.
The Need of Underpinning
As mentioned before, underpinning is not mandatory and it isn’t the best solution for all types of poor ground conditions. It is required when a building’s or home’s original foundation doesn’t remain as strong as it used to be. There are two major reasons why this usually happens and they are stated below:
Firstly, the soil that supported the foundation of the house/building has changed. Secondly, this issue might occur due to the wearing out of the original foundation. In very rare scenarios, this might happen due to the following reasons too. However, this is quite rare but they do add up to the wearing out of soil condition, over time.
- If you have had a major renovation some years back; as it might have changed the original structure
- Secondly, any construction in your nearby areas can also have an effect on the soil condition.
- Natural disasters like floods or earthquakes etc. which have the capacity of changing soil and foundation structures can also become a contributing factor to raising the need for underpinning.
How much time does underpinning take?
There is no definite time span for it as this varies from house to house and depends largely on the situation of the property too. The number of footings that have to be installed, decide the time span that is required for underpinning and Concrete Exeter the house. Construction companies for underpinning like A and M Groundworks can help you in having a set timeline before starting the project.
CONCLUSION:
Underpinning is a complex task and it must be performed by professionals, thus choosing the right team of groundwork experts is very important. It is not required by all properties and it isn’t the only solution for weakened foundations either. Thus, the right experts can guide you through this process efficiently.