Hello,
During a conversation with a salesperson, the phrase "the house can settle" came up. I’ve heard many horror stories, but what does settling actually mean in practice?
Okay, I’ll try to outline my thoughts... A house is built by first excavating the ground, then compacting it, and then someone pours the slab or foundation. After that, the rest of the building is constructed on top. Done!
Now the question is, how does this so-called settling occur? Isn’t the ground properly compacted? Does water wash something away underneath?
I imagine that a settlement of about 1-3 millimeters (0.04-0.12 inches) might not be a big deal, but if it’s 1-3 centimeters (0.4-1.2 inches), that becomes serious. Cracks in the plaster and so on.
Does a house generally settle over time, or is this more of a disclaimer from construction companies along the lines of: “Well, this can happen, you need to be aware of this and sign here, so if you end up with a crooked house in Timbuktu, you can’t hold us liable because we warned you!”
Does anyone have experience, tips, ideas, or solutions on this?
During a conversation with a salesperson, the phrase "the house can settle" came up. I’ve heard many horror stories, but what does settling actually mean in practice?
Okay, I’ll try to outline my thoughts... A house is built by first excavating the ground, then compacting it, and then someone pours the slab or foundation. After that, the rest of the building is constructed on top. Done!
Now the question is, how does this so-called settling occur? Isn’t the ground properly compacted? Does water wash something away underneath?
I imagine that a settlement of about 1-3 millimeters (0.04-0.12 inches) might not be a big deal, but if it’s 1-3 centimeters (0.4-1.2 inches), that becomes serious. Cracks in the plaster and so on.
Does a house generally settle over time, or is this more of a disclaimer from construction companies along the lines of: “Well, this can happen, you need to be aware of this and sign here, so if you end up with a crooked house in Timbuktu, you can’t hold us liable because we warned you!”
Does anyone have experience, tips, ideas, or solutions on this?
Hello
Every building settles after construction... except when built on rock! Rock does not shift... but of course, it has other disadvantages.
The extent to which a building settles depends on its weight and the soil conditions underneath. If a soil report is available, potential weak ground can be identified early and addressed.
Besides the settlement of the ground beneath the building, there is also some material shrinkage within the structure itself. This varies depending on the construction materials used. However, precautions can be taken to minimize the risk of cracking, although it cannot be completely eliminated.
Every building settles after construction... except when built on rock! Rock does not shift... but of course, it has other disadvantages.
The extent to which a building settles depends on its weight and the soil conditions underneath. If a soil report is available, potential weak ground can be identified early and addressed.
Besides the settlement of the ground beneath the building, there is also some material shrinkage within the structure itself. This varies depending on the construction materials used. However, precautions can be taken to minimize the risk of cracking, although it cannot be completely eliminated.
BauLine schrieb:
More or less, depending on the building materials used. However, you can take preventive measures to minimize the risk of cracks, but not completely eliminate it.How can you take precautions and reduce the risk?