Buildings insurance warning as subsidence increases

Wednesday, 11 April 2007 12:00

Britons are being told to make sure their buildings insurance is in order as new figures show subsidence claims are rocketing.

Halifax Home Insurance points to figures showing since 2002 subsidence claims have risen 50 per cent.

And subsidence - where the ground under a home sinks or settles so the surface is disrupted, often damaging properties and walls - increases over the summer months as garden vegetation demands more moisture, when the weather is driest.

"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 at Halifax Home Insurance.

"Signs that a property might be suffering from subsidence include cracks in walls, particularly if they start from corners of windows or doors which themselves may become difficult to open or close.

"The good news is there are there several measures homeowners can take if they are worried, which can go a long way towards avoiding a problem."

Some 70 per cent of all buildings insurance claims for subsidence are in areas of shrinkable clay soil placing homes in the south-east at particular risk due to the higher prevalence of clay-based soils in the region.

Generally if soil can be easily rolled into a ball it is likely to have a high clay content.

Halifax Home Insurance recommends checking the following:

• When buying a property, check the survey for information on historical activity such as mining. Around 15 per cent of subsidence claims on buildings insurance are due to previous mining activity beneath a property, so do not skimp on these important searches.
  
• A survey of the drainage of the property can identify risk of subsidence caused by water leaking into the soil beneath.
  
• The local water authority can carry out checks on the incoming water main. 15 per cent of subsidence claims are caused by water washing away some of the finer soil in the ground.
  
• Tall trees close to the house can be bad news, particularly for homes built on clay subsoil. They take water out from the ground and cause it to shrink and move. Tree removal solves 84 per cent of tree-related subsidence claims. If removal is not possible, reduction followed by regular maintenance may be the next best thing, but this is uncertain and ongoing tree maintenance can become expensive.
  
• If in doubt, contact your buildings insurance provider as soon as possible. The sooner the cause is identified and remedied the sooner the repairs can be undertaken.
  
• When planning where to plant new trees, bear in mind that some species can grow very large and can initiate subsidence.

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