Subsidence

[mg100]

hello

I have 1 large crack running down my wall in my extension which I'm sure is caused by subsidence as there is a crack on the outside and I couldn't shut my door! All the symptoms of subsidence.
Also the extension wall has moved away from the house by an inch.
There are 2 trees about 3-4 metres away in my neighbours garden which I think has caused this.

I am about to claim on my insurance and I was wondering if not telling the insurance company about these trees invalidates my claim?
On the policy documents it doesn't mention anything about trees and I cant remember if they asked on original form. Im with the Pru if its any help.

Any advcie would be very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[breezer]

I doubt they will pay out with out looking

 

[^woody^]

All the symptoms of subsidence.

There are 2 trees about 3-4 metres away in my neighbours garden which I think has caused this.

And the symptoms of several other causes too.

As it is an extension, I don't suppose poor work or bad foundation design could have anything to do with it?

Household policies are not like car polices and one does not have to declare "non-standard equipment", "adaptations and customisations" or "aftermarket accessories" - nor do you have to watch the area for any seeds or emerging saplings!

 

[Richard C]

I would instigate the necessary preliminaries for a claim as it sounds like you may have a serious-ish problem! Don’t offer any theory/blame /advice/information regarding what may have caused the problem or get involved with the detail any more than you have to in order to answer direct questions that may be put to you; play dumb & let them sort it out with your neighbour (or their insurance company) if necessary! Insurance companies seem to be taking a worrying & ever increasing interest in trees but it seems to be a fairly recent thing; my advice is just act like you don’t understand anything about them!

 

[jeds]

How old is the extension? if the trees pre-date the extension were the foundations designed according to their proximity, species and water demand?

 

[anobium]

You will probably find that there is a clause in your policy which refers to, -subrogation -. What this basically means is that your insurance company will make a counter claim on you neighbours insurers on the basis that the cause of the subsidence was the trees in their policy holders property.
This should avoid you having to pay the excess which is usually quite high with subsidence claims.
Good luck

 

[^woody^]

Subsidence is often coined as a generic term to describe any building movement, but trees rarely cause subsidence and so I would be wary if any insurer tries to invoke this to justify an excess payment.

Tree roots cause damage and ground movement by other specific means, and rarely cause the ground to develop large voids into which the ground above and the foundations drop - ie subside.

 

[anobium]

^Woody^
I've got to disagree with you that tree's rarely cause subsidence , but I agree that there are other reasons as well.
Subsidence usually happens when the water table drops due to a long, dry spell or water is sucked out of the soil by trees and bushes.
Houses built on clay soils are particularly prone to this.
As the clay contracts it pulls the foundations, triggering deflection which may cause structural damage to buildings. Different types of clay shrink and swell at different rates.
I've just been involved in a case were severe subsidence was caused by the householder planting a eucalyptus tree less than 3 metres from the gable.
Obviously this didn't happen overnight but the tree had reached a height of approx 10 metres in 12 years.
It didn't help that the footings were only 450 mm deep!
On the point re the insurance excess, you will find that most insurance companies will not cover you for the first £1000 of any subsidence claim unless you pay an increased premium.

 

[^woody^]

But wouldn't that be clay shrinkage?

I agree that what you discribe with relation to clay and ground moisture is very common, but I would say it is a specific condition in its own right.

Buildings may well happily rise and fall on clay soils as the ground expands and contracts. But if it is subsidence then the movement is one way only

The remedial treatment for seasonal or other movement caused by clay movement and ground moisture can be completely different to that for subsidence, so its important to be clear what is the actual cause.

I am sure that all insurers would love to class all such claims as subsidence, as it then reduces what they will have to pay out. I would want the cause to be properly identified, and so if possible reduce any excess I needed to pay if it is not subsidence