Homeowners urged to combat subsidence
April 11, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
With subsidence claims having risen by 50 per cent since 2002, according to the Association of British Insurers, homeowners are being urged to take measures to reduce the risk of subsidence in their property.
“People don’t knowingly cause subsidence, but there are ways homeowners can help to reduce the risk of such damage to their home to avoid the costs, inconvenience and inevitable worry that subsidence damage brings,” said Neil Curling, senior structural claims manager for Halifax Home Insurance.
Halifax recommends that to avoid or combat subsidence homeowners should check for historical activity of mining in the area, get a survey of the property’s drainage, trim back or remove large trees near a property and get the local water authority to check the incoming mains supply for faults.
And they should definitely double check the small print in their home insurance documents, or shop around for a cheap deal if they don’t have any.
The improving weather conditions make the risk ever greater as vegetation takes up more moisture as it grows just as the heat makes moisture scarce.
This can cause some types of ground, such as clay subsoil, to shrink as it dries out, which can undermine property foundations and crack walls – one of the first signs of subsidence.
