Underpinning foundations

Underpinning foundations may be required for several reasons: The foundation of the building has eroded or cracked due to insufficient support – The support issue may have arisen from excess water corrosion on the soil around the footings, meaning that in some areas the footings may be ‘floating’ or have collapsed into the space where the soil used to be. The property is being extended and needs a deeper foundation to support the added weight. Quite commonly a property may be extended from a single to two storey, especially where loft conversions are concerned. By underpinning this can cater for more weight from the building works and satisfy modern building regulations.
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The initial build depth of the footing was not adequate. If the original building regulations were not as stringent it may be that they didn’t property calculate the depth required to secure the building for a long period of time. If this turns out to be the case then underpinning might be the best solution to secure the footing.

Other building work nearby has caused disruption to your property or neighbouring property causing a shift underground. Sometimes when other buildings have work done, the excavation of those footings close to existing footings can leave the other property exposed. It is important that excavation work next to other buildings is done carefully to prevent the potential need to underpin foundations in the future.

Underpinning foundations traditionally consists of digging a hole under and around the existing foundations and filling squares of concrete beneath to create a stable point base for the original foundations to rest on, preventing further movement.

There are other methods where the above option is not viable, this may involve steel or concrete pins that can be drilled down into the soil until a solid base is found, there can then support the existing foundation by bearing the load further down where the ground is more solid.

If you think that you need underpinning or have been advised that underpinning is necessary for your building then speak to us, we can advise on the best options based on the current structure and condition of your footings, to ensure that you make the right choice in terms of cost and structure for your home

Underpinning foundations