how do you monitor subsidence

ari11

My insurance company has asked me if I have subsidence issues on my property. I said no.

They then said:
"I will need to have full information regarding this, when it was monitored, how long it was monitored for, what the outcome was and were there any recommendations made."

I don't have any mention of subsidence in my structural survey. Would it be called anything else. Or is there anything else I can say to them that will indicate I don't have subsidence.

ALso failing all that, I am going to offer to monitor for subsidence. What type of company typically does this type of work, or is it something that I can do myself?

Thanks.

G_M

Did you apply online?

My first thought is that you thought you said 'no', but actually clicked 'yes' - hence they asked further Qs about monitoring etc.

doughnutmachine

tbh, subsidence is only a major problem when you get different rates of subsidence at different places beneath a building. if you do get different rates of subsidence you will see cracks in the building (typically cracks along the mortar on brick walls).

It's fairly easy to monitor the size of these cracks. Just google "crack tell tale" and you will see devices that can monitor cracks.

PS. I would check with the insurance company if they have made a mistake in asking for additional information....

trollopscarletwoman

Don't they place tabs/ glass in cracks and force them in. Then measure.

If they fall out then the gap has increased.

G_M

trollopscarletwoman wrote: »

Don't they place tabs/ glass in cracks and force them in. Then measure.

If they fall out then the gap has increased by how much?.

This is a bit crude....

AlexMac

They've made a mistake. You said you had no subsidence- so they have no reason to ask about past subsidence. So tell 'em that.

Dn't start messing about with bits of glass- if it ain't broke they can't fix it.

Assume some geek has ticked the wrong box- it would be really bad news if a false tag was put on your file

And as for " ... failing all that, I am going to offer to monitor for subsidence. What type of company typically does this type of work, or is it something that I can do myself?".

Don't. Its a bit like having an AIDs test- you might be reassure that you don't have AIDs, but no insurance company will ever touch you agian if you even have the test, as this means you thought you might....

moneyistooshorttomention

"Tell tales" was the name I believe of the gadgets used in a rented property I had some years back.

As I recall, they were clear plastic several inches long and an inch or two wide. They have measurements on them. They were fitted to the cracks in the building walls, current measurement taken and appropriate workmen came back at intervals to check if the measurement of the crack had increased.