Imagine yourself sitting in a Melbourne hipster cafe, drinking a flat white when you notice that the ground is uneven important site. You may not take this as a major warning, but building professionals do. Engineers don’t just use the word “underpinning” to describe the safety of structures.
What’s your underlying principle? Consider your home to be an old friend that has been with you through good and difficult times. But they’ve started to literally and figuratively fracture over the years. As if you were lending your friend a pair of sturdy crutches, it will help them to get back up. It’s a procedure to strengthen a building, or any other structure, foundation.
Why is Melbourne so in need of it? Melbourne weather can be equally unpredictable as the terrain. It can seem as solid as stone one moment and shift like quicksand next. These shifts in ground can lead uneven building settlements and structural issues that would make any homeowner go crazy.
There are several ways to skin an animal. Let’s look at a few of them. Underpinning traditionally involves pouring concrete and excavating under the foundation. Consider buying new, more cushioned footwear for your house. The modern screw piling method is another option. Steel piles are driven deep into the soil to provide support from below.
Anyone ever claimed that they were “as powerful as an elephant”? Our goal is to ensure the stability of your building, no matter the conditions. However, it is not always simple to achieve. It takes an oiled machine, a cohesive team with astute hands and minds.
When you notice that the walls are cracking or your floors are sinking, you might wonder whether you can simply put some ducttape on them and call it good. That will not do! Fast fixes do not solve the real problem, and they can lead to even more issues. You can think of them as putting lipstick onto a pig.
Melbourne is full of characterful, older houses. Take for example the Victorian cottage in my neighborhood, which is owned by Mrs. Jenkins. Last summer, she realized that her front doors were sticking a lot more than they usually did. After a short inspection, it was found that the foundations of her home had moved because soil moisture levels varied. It didn’t take long for her to get back in top condition thanks to expert underpinning repairs performed by local specialists.
It’s important to remember that choosing an underpinning won’t be done while reading a Better Homes & Gardens Magazine and having breakfast in St Kilda Beach. It’s important to have experts analyze the situation in depth, as it involves everything from soil conditions to structural issues.
Yes, there will be a cost. Do you want to spend twice as long ago or now? Preventive methods are always better than corrective, like having regular dental examinations rather than having root canal surgery later in life.
Without really reaching any conclusions, let’s just say that, in spite of the numerous environmental challenges Melbourne faces on a regular basis, underpinnings will be crucial in maintaining the structural integrity. They can be anything from soil shifting caused by weather patterns to the wear and tear of decades of use.
The underpinning is the unsung superhero that keeps our beautiful homes together, even when we face challenges.