When Does Your Property’s Foundation Require Underpinning and How Is It Done?
Melbourne is home to so many aging properties. There is nothing wrong with owning one as well. However, as properties get older, their foundations can start developing problems. Many factors can impact the life of your property’s foundation. Also, wooden foundation stumps in older properties will give out in 50-70 years even in perfect conditions as well.
Restumping and underpinning are two different processes. Where in restumping weaker stumps are replaced with stronger materials, underpinning might include extending the foundation stumps or adding more strength to the soil underneath. Underpinning can also be required for relatively new properties for different reasons.
Understanding the Need for Underpinning in Melbourne
There are many factors that can affect the health of your foundation stumps. Also, a few other scenarios can require foundation underpinning as well. The process may or may not include jacking up the flooring of your property in order to make changes underneath.
Underpinning is a complex process and requires dedicated equipment and experience. Fully licensed and insured underpinning contractors in Melbourne like Fort Knox Foundations will have everything required for the process. Here are a few reasons why your property will need foundation underpinning:
- The condition of the supporting soil has changed in some way. This change to the soil might have happened due to the expansion or contraction of the soil due to moisture, subsidence, or large trees nearby with large roots. Also, a damaged plumbing problem that is unrepaired and lets water go down can cause these problems.
- The foundation was built without giving the proper examination of the soil. This has resulted in the foundation not being the perfect one for the conditions. In cases like this, properties can start sinking or experience uneven flooring as well.
- A major renovation has increased the weight of the property and altered the nature of the structure. Also, in cases where an older property goes through a major renovation, it might change in different ways including requiring foundation restrengthening.
- When you need to add another floor or additional rooms on the property, its weight will increase. To increase the capability of the foundation, it can require additional support through underpinning. Also, this applies when a property may get new roofing as well.
- In case of natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, or droughts changing the state of the soil, foundation restrengthening might be required.
The property is resting on top of the foundation. There is nothing stopping the property from sinking or collapsing but the foundation. In case of all these problems, proper restrengthening of the foundation will be required to keep stability and reliability.
What Is the Underpinning Process?
So, what will your underpinning contractor in Melbourne do, and what is needed for the service?
Basically, underpinning is the process of strengthening the foundation of an existing house, property, structure, or building. The flooring might be required to be jacked up for the process. Strengthening of the foundation is accomplished by reinforcing the existing foundation. No stumps will be removed or replaced in the process. Also, strengthening the soil can also be a solution by introducing expanding fillers. Additionally, the foundation can also be extended to distribute the weight and load over a greater surface area. When done right, underpinning will add more strength to the foundation stabilizing the property and its foundation. Melbourne’s climate requires timely checkups and maintenance of the foundation to keep stability.
Why Underpinning Is Necessary for Sinking Properties?
As a result of all the abovementioned problems or situations, an affected property might start to sink. Also, sinking can cause uneven flooring or indentations in different areas of it. Uneven flooring has its own problems and characteristics. It will cause long-term issues with affected properties.
In addition to weakening the property’s structural integrity, sinking properties can also develop cracking walls. Doors and windows will not open and close properly. Additionally, an affected property might be susceptible to long-term damage and require very expensive fixes.
Problems with a property’s foundation have caused problems like completely degrading structures. At worst, the property might come down with failing structural integrity. Strengthening the foundation through a professional underpinning contractor in Melbourne helps avoid all of that.
Underpinning stabilizes the property’s foundation and adds more strength to it. So, whether the property is in a sinking state or you need to add more stories to it, stronger foundations will be able to provide support at all times.
How Fort Knox Foundations Provide Underpinning?
Fort Knox Foundations is a professional underpinning contractor in Melbourne offering quality services for all requirements. Our team of experts will jack the affected property’s flooring up if required and work on the foundation and soil underneath to add more strength. We have more than a decade of experience improving foundation strength for properties of all kinds.
Also, we are able to provide foundation restrengthening through our underpinning contractor in Melbourne service for residential and commercial properties. The time of the process will depend on the size of your property and the nature of the problem with it.
Our professional underpinning in Melbourne services prolong the life of your property. Whether you are planning on adding additional rooms or floors to the property or its foundation, our underpinning service will be of great help. Also, we provide a quick turnaround with our underpinning services for properties of all sizes and types. Our services make the property available to you quickly.
Conclusion
Homes and properties of all kinds need proper maintenance to keep stability. The foundation is a major part of any property when it comes to structural integrity and strength. Moisture and the soil below affected by it can develop ongoing foundation problems. Fixing all kinds of problems with the foundation quickly is the best way to ensure reliability and stability over the long term.
Fort Knox Foundations offers professional foundation underpinning Melbourne services for properties of all sizes and designs. Our underpinning contractors in Melbourne restrengthen the foundation making it able to withstand the weight of the property for many years. Give us a call today to book your appointment and get a professional survey at any time.