Does Your House Suffer from Subsidence, Settlement or Heave?
Cracks or Movement in Your Home?

Do you have cracks in the walls of your home? Not small, hairline cracks, but larger more structural cracking? Do you have “zig-zag” cracking from the corner of windows? Can you see evidence of the exterior wall coverings cracking? Can you see into the cracks? What about the paths and paving around your house, have these changed shape? Maybe become uneven with dips and rises where they used to be perfectly flat? Does Your House Suffer from Subsidence, Settlement or Heave? All these signs could prove to be subsidence, settlement or heave and need to addressed before further damage to your property.

Subsidence, Settlement or Heave
So, what is the difference and what should I do? All three conditions relate to different types of soil or ground movement and can have dramatic effects on property integrity, often resulting in costly insurance claims and remedial work. Broadly the three different types of movement can be described as following, BUT, it is essential that a qualified geotechnical engineer evaluates the ground and provides a detailed report which is suitable for both insurance companies and those contractors engaged to do the repair work:
- Subsidence – generally, this is the downward movement of underlying soil, often due to withdrawal of moisture. This causes shrinkage in the soil structure and the soil above the area moves downwards to fill in the gap.
- Settlement – generally, this is the downward movement of the soil structure caused by excessive loading from above. Heavyweights such as buildings and construction are too heavy for the natural weight bearing of the soil structure and this gives way, causing the downward, compression and movement of the area above.
- Heave – generally, heave is the upward movement of the soil structure due to water entering a dry soil structure, causing the soil to swell and move upward and displacing surface structures.
Contact Plough Geotechnical Ltd
If you need some expert advice and understanding of any Geotechnical issues that may be affecting your home, then contact Alan at Plough Geotechnical Ltd for an initial, informal chat about how you may be able to work together.

Alan, Director of Plough Geotechnical Ltd, has over 50 years’ experience and is one of the most respected geotechnical experts in the country. Approachable and friendly to work with, Alan will work with builders, landowners, homeowners, solicitors and insurance companies, ensuring that an expert evaluation and detailed plan is put in place to rectify any ground movement issues.
Tel: 0151 353 1730
Mob: 07957 659 819
Email: alan@ploughgeo.co.uk

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