If the ground beneath your home or business becomes unstable and sinks (due to wastewater escaping from leaking drains and seeping into the soil, for example), the property’s foundations are likely to drop as well. This destructive process is known as subsidence and is every property owner’s worst nightmare.
Subsidence can create dramatic, fast-expanding cracks in walls. In fact, it can undermine buildings’ structural integrity to the extent they become unsafe. Plus, a property that develops subsidence can lose as much as 25% of its value, as estate agent Sold.co.uk points out.
Because leaking drains are among the major causes of subsidence, we encourage you to contact us if you have concerns about your drainage system or are unsure what condition it’s in. The Mega-Rod Bath drains experts can help you identify and resolve problems with the aid of CCTV drain surveys, drain unblocking and other services.
When your drainage system is working properly, it carries wastewater safely away from your property and therefore prevents it from overwhelming the soil surrounding the pipework.
However, if the drains crack or their joints loosen due to age, wear or pressure exerted by drain blockages, they’ll leak whenever you run a tap, take a shower, wash your clothes, and so on. And because leaky drains are a magnet for invasive tree roots and sharp-toothed sewer rats in search of water and nutrients, the damage – and leaks – may well get worse. Over time, the wastewater could destabilise the soil.
Property owners who don’t ask a drainage company to carry out regular drain camera surveys or drain cleaning have no way of knowing if their underground pipes are leaking and putting their homes and businesses at risk of subsidence. No way of knowing, that is, until the leaks become so severe they create issues above ground, such as nasty smells and waterlogged gardens. That’s why we recommend you get your drains inspected and cleaned by our specialist team at least once a year.
How exactly do leaking drains cause subsidence? They destabilise the ground beneath a building in one of two ways, depending on the type of soil.
You can check what type of soil commercial and residential properties stand on by using the Soilscapes Viewer, an interactive map from the Land Information System. For example, Soilscapes classifies the soil in the Locksbrook Road area of Bath, where we’re based, as loamy.
Clay soil is most at risk of subsidence – it can swell and shrink dramatically. Period properties are also particularly vulnerable, as their foundations are generally fairly shallow.
Let’s explore what tends to happen when soil collapses and a building’s foundations are pulled down with it, so you know what to look out for.
Subsidence warning signs include:
If a property experiences severe subsidence due to an issue such as leaking drains, its foundations may need underpinning (i.e. deepening and strengthening). ‘This can be expensive and disruptive with costs reaching £50,000 in some cases,’ emphasises the Homeowners’ Alliance. So it’s vital that people don’t ignore large cracks or other red flags and let subsidence get out of hand.
Thankfully, you can rely on Mega-Rod, as our excellent customer reviews demonstrate. If your property in Bath, Bristol or the surrounding area potentially has subsidence and leaking drains, we can help. We can conduct a CCTV drain survey to pinpoint wastewater leaks and also advise you about next steps (such as drain unblocking, drain cleaning and drain maintenance and repairs).
Even if you don’t think you have any drainage issues, an annual survey and cleaning can help keep your drains working properly and reduce the risk of subsidence at your property.
Worried about leaking drains? Call Mega-Rod in Bath today on 01225 422980.
