Subsidence expert predicts higher risk for London’s Victorian Homes in 2025

Submitted by daniel on Wed, 08/01/2025 - 12:22

Subsidence expert predicts higher risk for London’s Victorian Homes in 2025 - LondonWorld

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

According to public body Historic England, over a quarter of the British population live in Victorian homes, built at one of the biggest periods of economic, political and social reform driven by the Industrial Revolution. In areas like Chelsea, Camden, Balham and Streatham, Victorian homes are extremely desirable.

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later.

Submitting...

The challenge is that whilst built for longevity, they have inherent design issues which have resulted in numerous defects.

Characterised by their high ceilings and large bay windows, many of these homes are built on foundations as shallow as 20 cm – making them more susceptible to subsidence, especially if they are built on clay soil. Given that most of London’s foundations rest on clay, subsidence could be a risk for up to two fifths of London homes by 2030.

Hide Ad

Ground engineering expert Mainmark UK is predicting an increase in subsidence claims for London’s period properties in 2025, due to the susceptibility of shallow foundations, as well as other common issues.

Freya Chapman, Residential Lead for Mainmark UK, explains that because most significant changes to soil’s moisture levels and temperature happen at the surface, homeowners of Victorian and Edwardian properties will need to plan ahead to prevent any costly damage.

Subsidence can occur when the ground beneath a building sinks, pulling the structure’s foundations down with it and causing damage.

Freya said: “While built of sturdy materials, these properties are more than 100 years and over the decades have needed some upgrades to keep them habitable. Material decay, renovation, proximity to drains, mining history, and a change in climate – both seasonally and because of global warming – could all result in subsidence issues in period properties.

Hide Ad

“Bay windows hold their own risk. Because they are often supported by shallower foundations than the rest of the house, they are more vulnerable to settlement. Therefore, homeowners occupying these types properties would be advised to watch out for cracks in their walls, sinking floors and jamming windows and doors”.

A semi-detached, three-storey Victorian home had been gradually experiencing these symptoms. The homeowner was concerned that if left untreated, the visible cracking that had appeared would worsen and was planning ahead in case they decided to sell the property. Because subsidence can devalue a home by up to 20 per cent, they didn’t want to gamble their finances and decided to act.

The homeowner said: “My property had suffered some historic movement in one corner of the house. I had put off for years having any work carried out on it as I assumed it would involve significant underpinning with concrete, consume large amounts of cash I didn’t have and be 2 weeks of major disruption.

“Then I heard about the resin injection process and called a couple of companies to get a survey and quotation. Mainmark stood out head and shoulder over the rest because of how friendly and responsive they were.

Hide Ad

“The inspection was carried out efficiently and my questions were quickly answered. Within 2 weeks of accepting the quotation I had a team on site, working professionally to reinforce the soil and improve ground strength under the foundations.”

It wasn’t a difficult problem to rectify for this homeowner. Because period properties are built to different specifications to modern structures, often they can tolerate ground movement with relatively little need for concern.

Mainmark UK was able to rectify the issue using a noninvasive injection resin, pumped into the foundations at six points along the wall of the property. Using laser measurements, resin was pumped until a positive lift was achieved.

“Mainmark closed the cracks and carried out pre and post ground stability tests. Saving me goodness knows how many thousands in house value, the team delivered the desired result…. And in as little as one day!”

Hide Ad

Due to clay soil, homeowners in London might be familiar with subsidence risks. When paired with the age and architectural style for period properties, the depth of foundations and poor soil quality, subsidence could threaten not only the value of your property, but also its safety.

It’s a similar story for ex-mining towns across the UK, too. While not necessarily built on clay soil, in Cornwall for example, period properties were build using mundic blocks – concrete slabs made from waste mining materials like sand, China clay and mine processing residue.

Freya explains: “Mundic blocks were mass produced from the turn of the 20th century until the 1950s, and in some areas until the early 1960s. They were a common building material in the South West and can crumble and break easily, affecting the structural integrity of a property.”

“Properties of this kind are extremely attractive buys, full of character and idyllic features. To ensure you are futureproofing these features, it’s vital to plan ahead to alleviate any stressful subsidence issues.”

Hide Ad

Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of the Mainmark group of companies established in 2016. The company, located in Milton Keynes, has over three decades experience and has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions. Mainmark has earned international recognition as an award-winning ground engineering organisation.

Web Link

Subsidence expert predicts higher risk for London’s Victorian Homes in 2025 - L…

LondonWorld