Garage wall potential collapse

Dick_here

theoretica said:

I am looking at the plants growing on the outside of the garage and wondering how much their roots contributed - the soil may not be doing the pushing all by itself.

I can see three options:

- demolish the garage and just build a supporting slope

- get some digging done and patch up what is there

- take the opportunity to build something that adds more value

Thanks for detailing options, appreciated.

Dick_here

Ectophile said:

!!!!!!_here said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

in_my_wellies said:

My neighbour found herself in an almost identical situation. She was about 75

As soon as she noticed she started digging. She just dug and dug until she created a gap all the way along, about the width of her body. Fortunately the weather was dry so new wet didn't add to the problem. It took her weeks! I helped with a few barrows when I could. 

Then she (we) hammered the breeze blocks back with a sledge hammer - Hoping the roof didn't give way. Looking back it was a but of a risk. Did it very gradually, each brick a little at a time until they were quite tidy. Of course the outside bricks didn't push back and there is no cavity space.

Then she found a long piece of angle iron and we fixed this across the breeze blocks. On the outside she filled the gap with three or four layers of pallets placed vertically and covered them with plastic. 

Now that is gumption!

OP, this is going to need declaring to your home insurance company at renewal if not before.

I've put in a subsidence based claim to at least get them involved, waiting for them to contact me back.

That's probably knocked a few thousand off the value of your house.

Point taken, though we expect to be here for a long time so that's not the immediate concern !

Section62

!!!!!!_here said:

Point taken, though we expect to be here for a long time so that's not the immediate concern !

Just a thought... how long have you owned the house?

The blockwork inside the garage looks much newer than the brickwork outside, and it is a bit unusual to build a garage using cavity walls (although being below ground level could be a reason).  The detailing at the top of the block wall/roof area looks a bit odd too.

I just wonder whether a previous owner was aware of the movement, had the block wall constructed to hide/repair the problem, and whether this is something they should have declared when you purchased?

Doozergirl

Section62 said:

!!!!!!_here said:

Point taken, though we expect to be here for a long time so that's not the immediate concern !

Just a thought... how long have you owned the house?

The blockwork inside the garage looks much newer than the brickwork outside, and it is a bit unusual to build a garage using cavity walls (although being below ground level could be a reason).  The detailing at the top of the block wall/roof area looks a bit odd too.

I just wonder whether a previous owner was aware of the movement, had the block wall constructed to hide/repair the problem, and whether this is something they should have declared when you purchased?

Sherlock!! 

theoretica

Hopefully using the 'subsidence' word as a non-expert won't have an effect on claims/house value by itself.  It's like going to the doctor saying 'I am worried this might be cancer' - they decide what goes in your medical notes after taking an expert look.

stuart45

It might not be a proper cavity wall, but just a brick wall with a block backing to form a 9 inch wall because of the ground level. A photo of the pier inside by the door would give a better idea.

Belenus

!!!!!!_here said:

Belenus said:

!!!!!!_here said:

Is that a vehicle under that tarpaulin or cover?

Is it valuable.

You might consider moving it before that wall or the roof collapses onto it.

Good spot, but no, it's an exercise bike actually.  That's another irony, getting a car into the garage is all but impossible due to the size/angle and always has been, yet the garage is now a problem grrr.

A bit off topic but garages that are not wide enough for a car irritate me.

For twenty seven years we lived in a 1960 built house with an attached garage that was comfortably wide enough to take a medium to large sized car.

We relocated ten years ago to a 2005 built house with an integral garage that is too small for anything but a micro car.

I can just about drive our car into the garage but there isn't enough room to open the door and get out.

I see the same issue on all the many new housing developments in our area.

Cars may have got wider but garages have certainly got narrower on new builds.

Ballymoney

Section62 said:

Just a thought... how long have you owned the house?

The blockwork inside the garage looks much newer than the brickwork outside, and it is a bit unusual to build a garage using cavity walls (although being below ground level could be a reason).  The detailing at the top of the block wall/roof area looks a bit odd too.

I just wonder whether a previous owner was aware of the movement, had the block wall constructed to hide/repair the problem, and whether this is something they should have declared when you purchased?

Possibly the reason the OP can’t fit a car in to the garage if the blockwork was added after the initial build?

You say you’re looking to live in this property long term. I’d be looking to fix it properly rather than a bodge job involving trench digging and knocking the wall back in to shape. Unfortunately that won’t be cheap but it will likely be the best value.

weeg

I'm going say this again: do not delay in getting proper advice on this. That wall is potentially dangerous. A really heavy rain is likely to cause more movement.

You do not have a subsidence problem. You have a failed retaining wall. Call the insurance company back. Subsidence is a slow creep issue - non urgent. A failed retaining wall is urgent.

No, it's not the plants, it's the soil. There is a dull explanation involving Rankine's theory of earth pressures with regards to active and passive soil parameters, but what it boils down to is that once a slope/ earth face starts moving it won't stop unless something makes it, or it reach's it's natural slope - which is somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, probably. Your wall is trying to stop it moving but isn't strong enough. Add it a bunch of rainwater which adds to the weight and... I wouldn't be parking a theoretical car there in a storm.

Both section62 and stuart45 are regular posters here who both know their stuff. We're all telling you the same thing - get professional help with this.

Dick_here

weeg said:

I'm going say this again: do not delay in getting proper advice on this. That wall is potentially dangerous. A really heavy rain is likely to cause more movement.

You do not have a subsidence problem. You have a failed retaining wall. Call the insurance company back. Subsidence is a slow creep issue - non urgent. A failed retaining wall is urgent.

No, it's not the plants, it's the soil. There is a dull explanation involving Rankine's theory of earth pressures with regards to active and passive soil parameters, but what it boils down to is that once a slope/ earth face starts moving it won't stop unless something makes it, or it reach's it's natural slope - which is somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, probably. Your wall is trying to stop it moving but isn't strong enough. Add it a bunch of rainwater which adds to the weight and... I wouldn't be parking a theoretical car there in a storm.

Both section62 and stuart45 are regular posters here who both know their stuff. We're all telling you the same thing - get professional help with this.

Appreciate all the input, everyone.  I've spoken to the insurance company now, and they're passing the info to a structural engineers firm (or similar) who will advise.  If it isn't subsidence, and it's sounding here like it isn't, then I'll need to get a builder round after that I guess without it being an insurance claim.