Clay Soil - Property Foundation Issues - Advice.

[JonnyRFT]

52 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

So the cracks and annual movement is related to subsidence rather than heave.
I’ve never actually witnessed a case of heave, I think it’s a very rare occurrence.
From reading up on heave, I gather it can only happen when all these factors come into play:
1. Clay soil
2. Tree(s) have to predate the building
3 building has been constructed upon soil which is already water deficient due to the tree roots.

Open to being corrected.
Don’t know how old that building is but Leylandii grow pretty quick.

You are right with regards to trees predating the building. I actually meant that I’m dealing with subsidence but I have not worded my original statement very well. 
 

I think the large cypress at the rear of the property was probably the issue. It was mature specimen removed in the summer months circa 5 years ago according to the occupier. I only have his word to take as verbatim though. But because he mentioned the cracks widening in the summer, that says to me to lapsed conifer hedge is playing a fundamental part in the ground movement.

 

I can probably hazard a guess that the foundation’s are insufficient but without a borehole test I cannot say for sure. That’s at least an option yet it still leaves me in the same situation.
 

 

[JonnyRFT]

1 hour ago, tree77 said:

If the customer has building insurance why not let there insurance provider carry out the investigation and then act on their recommendations.

 

 

 

The recommendation is to fell the trees. We have no problem with rectifying the issues but there’s also another property that doesn’t belong to us behind the conifers.

[tree77]

31 minutes ago, JonnyRFT said:

The recommendation is to fell the trees. We have no problem with rectifying the issues but there’s also another property that doesn’t belong to us behind the conifers.

Was the report carried out by there insurance provider?

If so presumably a trail hole was dug and soil analysis etc undertaken.

 

Depending on what there basing the recommendation for removal on by not doing this could cause other problems.

why not remove the conifers and replace with a fence?