If you notice a crack in your wall or a door that won't close properly, your mind likely jumps straight to "subsidence." However, ground movement usually falls into one of two categories: settlement or subsidence.
Knowing the difference is the first step in crushing the complexity of home maintenance and ensuring you take the right action at the right time.
Settlement is a natural and expected process in most construction. It occurs when the soil beneath a building compresses under the weight of the structure.
Initial construction: This typically happens when a building is first constructed or shortly after major additions are made.
Soil compaction: The soil simply compacts under the heavy load of the house until it reaches a stable balance.
Uniform movement: Settlement is often uniform, meaning the whole building moves downward evenly, or it happens in a predictable way that does not cause major structural alarm.
Reaching equilibrium: Once the soil is fully compacted, the movement usually stops on its own.
Unlike settlement, subsidence is not expected and is almost always caused by an external change in the ground conditions. This is the "uncertainty killer" that requires professional attention.
Differential movement: Subsidence is nearly always uneven, causing one part of your home to shift while the rest stays still. This creates the classic diagonal crack patterns often seen around doors and windows.
Environmental triggers: It is often triggered by clay soil shrinking due to drought or tree roots extracting moisture, or by leaking drains washing away the soil entirely.
External factors: Mining activity, underground voids, or significant changes in the local water table can also cause the ground to give way.
Ongoing risk: Subsidence can continue indefinitely if the root cause is not identified and addressed.
While settlement is often just a "growing pain" for a house, subsidence is a problem that can affect your property's value and safety.
At Geobear, we focus on the human side of engineering. We know how important your home is to you, which is why we use non-invasive, fast-acting solutions to stabilise your ground and give you back confidence in your home's foundations.