How is subsidence diagnosed or assessed?
If you suspect your home is moving, you need more than a guess—you need a professional diagnosis. At Geobear, we are "complexity crushers." We take the mystery out of ground engineering by using a clear, stepped approach to understand exactly what is happening beneath your home.
Here is how a professional assessment moves from spotting a crack to designing a permanent solution.
1. Visual inspection (the initial look)
The process always begins with a detailed visual review of the property. This isn't just about looking at cracks; it's about reading the "symptoms" of your home. We look for:
- Crack patterns: We assess the location, width, and direction of cracks to see if they follow classic subsidence signatures.
- Building distortion: We check for sticking doors or windows and window cills that may be tilting.
- External factors: Our experts identify nearby high-risk trees, drainage layouts, and general ground conditions.
- Historical context: We want to know when the movement started and if it is getting visibly worse.
2. Monitoring period (watching for patterns)
Sometimes, a single visit isn't enough to tell the whole story. To kill uncertainty, we may recommend a period of monitoring.
- Measuring movement: We use specialized gauges to track whether cracks are opening or closing over time.
- Defining the state: This determines if the subsidence is active and ongoing or if the building has already stabilised.
- Seasonal capture: Monitoring often lasts several months to see how your home reacts to seasonal changes, such as dry summers or wet winters.
3. Soil investigation (the Geobear difference)
This is where we separate professional engineering from guesswork. At Geobear, we believe in "measure twice, cut once." A detailed soil investigation is critical to creating a custom treatment plan unique to your home, but what does that include?
The trial pit
A small, controlled pit is dug out to get a direct view of your home's "skeleton."
- Foundation details: This determines the exact depth, thickness, and type of foundations your home sits on.
- Knowing the ground: It shows us exactly what we are working with below the surface before any work begins.
The borehole (3–5m deep)
To provide a permanent fix, we need to understand the earth deep below your foundations so a borehole is taken which is around 6-8 inches in width and goes to varying depths.
- Clay strength: We establish the bearing capacity and strength of the clay or soil.
- Shrinkability: We measure moisture content to see how much the soil is likely to shrink or swell.
- Root identification: We identify the depth of the deepest tree roots to ensure our treatment reaches far enough to be effective.
- Finding "good ground": This test shows us exactly where the competent, stable soil begins so we can anchor your home securely.
Read more about site investigations.
Our promise to you
We don't provide "off-the-shelf" solutions. By combining these assessment stages, we can provide you with a custom-engineered treatment plan that is technically valid and proven to last. With Geobear, you get a safe pair of hands and a clear path to getting your life back to normal.