underpin or repair

[rafthorney]

G/day all.

I,ve some cracks to fix above external doors, staggered ,soffit on down, on one.Plus a larger crack where an extension abutts the main house.Surveyor says its not joined in properly.

The insurance say its not subsidence(after having level monitored for about 14 months)plus or minus 1mm movement.

Trial pit did show shallow foundation for the extension of 480mm on made ground.

Insurance said it could possibly be differential movement when pressed.Or rather the firm they had investigate did.

The surveyor gave me 2 options,underpin to be sure or crack stitch with a movement joint or masonary beam,knowing movement could occur again.

Who can afford to underpin?i can't.

As the movement is said to be non progressive,i,d welcome thoughts on what to do.

cheers

 

[KenGMac]

rafthorney, good evening.

Was the firm that undertook the level monitoring " The Innovation Group?"

Are you insured with RSA?

Sorry to be so probing, but I recognise a pattern here?

 

[^woody^]

Find a different surveyor. One that can diagnose the actual cause, then you can devise a solution.

 

[rafthorney]

Ken,it was the innovation group but with Directline.When they first appeared with a spirit level,they said its Thermal and just repair.Then i hired a surveyor,who brilliantly said,there is something going on here lol.

After the level monitoring and pushed,because there was no report due to case declined,they said it was possibly differential movement due to differing foundation depths.

The surveyor being ultra cautious of course said underpin to reinforce the extension if you can afford it or repair the cracks with stitching and movement joint or masonary beam,knowing the cracks could return.

But level monitored for about 14 months and no progressive movement,so they say.
Should i be worried Ken?
Woody,i,m tempted to instruct a structural engineer but would have thought a surveyor was competent enough?

Ive already spend 600 quid on the surveyor.
The crack repair quote from newmans structural is about 4.7k.They are the ones who said no underpin,stitch and masonary beam.
Falcon construction said its not thermal lol.

 

[KenGMac]

rafthorney, good evening again.

Even at this distance I thought I detected the Innovation Group.

Bottom line with them is they will decline everything, this way their contract with the Insurance Company they are working for makes them money, and saves the insurer paying out, right reason or none, unless the property has partially collapsed Innovation will decline.

Where to go from here???

As Woody or?

Think carefully before venturing in here? look around for firms calling themselves "Loss ASSESSORS" these guys [claim] to work on your behalf to go head to head with the insurer and the insurers Loss ADJUSTER and engineering specialist [Innovation]

Now you head for an uphill battle in that the Insurer has previously declined your claim [in the mind of the insurer he has a done deal]

Have you seen the results of the Level Monitoring? and who undertook that task? was it innovation group or an independent specialist, whoever did it get a copy, because as the Insurer sees things your home is not subsiding, a valuation surveyor in the future may think different? and you will need the proof obtained by your insurer [the level survey] to prove to the valuation surveyor there is no movement occasioned by Subsidence -- if you see where I am coming from, bottom line is you get your copy of the survey results

After the above you can Inform your insurer that you do not accept the decision generated by Innovation Group and you wish to seek an independent third party to give you impartial advice, at this stage with your insurer mention a Loss Assessor try mentioning either "Public Loss Adjusters" or any of your preference for "Loss Assessors"

Insurers hate and detest Assessors because the Assessor chases the insurer several times per week and assessors know all the various Insurance rules and regulations?

Without sight of the level monitoring I cannot tell you if you should be concerned

Can you ping over the first 3 only digits of your postcode? i may be able to access a site that will give the geology under your property??

Ken.

 

[rafthorney]

Good evening Ken,
I,m at BH2
On the monitoring paperwork,it says subsnetuk,which i think may be a division of Innovations?
I,ve all the readings which were collated by the surveyor when i sent them to him.
Innovations said plus or minus 1mm movement and confirmed by the surveyor who looked at all the results.

I may have to get back to them for an easy read version as its on several emails.

The main house i,m told is on sandy silt foundation at 1.4m

The building dept at the local council did think initially that the area around where i live was all pinned but no records are held going back to 1988/1990.

I was thinking about just getting the cracks repaired and monitoring with a firm now and then to check for movement?

The guy from Falcon thought it was a bit harsh from the insurance to decline the claim and i,m not sure if i have a claim or not now.

Ive seen the insurance assessor sites and may try them if i have any chance of making them pay for past movement?

I,m still not sure wether its differential movement or what on shallow foundations and if that equates to subsidence?

yours
very much confused.com

 

[rafthorney]

ps just emailed a loss assessor to see if i have a case.

 

[KenGMac]

rafthorney, good evening again.

OK I can fully understand your dilemma.

If we break this down to bite sized bits,

The insurer, acting in all good faith on the information the Insurer has obtained from InFront has declined your claim.

Can I come clean here. I have historically had [very] personal interaction with InFront

The reputation within the Insurance of InFront industry is not shall I call it great? at one time InFront were telling Insurers that they would survey the Subsidence claims sent to them and for not more that a certain amount of £££ ]no more] would sort [or decline] any Subsidence claim, At one time there was a completely non substantiated story that InFront had more Ombudsman Complaints against them than any other Subsidence specialist, as I am clear to reiterate this was a story circulating inside the Insurance industry.

At this point, I am for my sins still working in the Insurance Industry [now add 2+2???]

OK now for Loss ASSESSORS?

I mentioned the name of one [I know of personally] you could also have a look at Balcome group?

The way these guys "tend" to make their money is to use inflated costs of building costs, there are however several other ploys that such firms employ

Some ASSESSORS will not touch either Subsidence claims or claims that have been previously Declined by the Insurer.

Up-side is that an ASSESSOR will not charge you, unlike a Structural Engineer, as an aside the ASSESSOR will have a "Tame" Subs specialist / Engineer.

Hope this lot assists? in the murky world of insurance and Subsidence

Ken

 

[rafthorney]

Hi Ken, when you say Infront? did you mean the innovation group?

What was the name of the assessor you know personally?

At the end of the day and if i have to,i probably will have repairs done under the surveyors no2 option as i believe he is just covering his backside by saying underpin to be sure.

I did have a quote for resin injection at 12k more than ive got!

Thanks for all the advice

 

[KenGMac]

rafthorney, Hi.

InFront = The Innovation Group. InFront was an old trading name, the American owners appeared to think the more "impressive" "Group" name was more shall I call it sexy?

ASSESSOR was PLA [Public Loss Adjusters]

Sorry but have not got any info as of yet on your postcode and Geology or the name of the Company that undertook the Monitoring.

Ken