Subsidence measurements ?

Maybe sleep at the uphill end ;-)

Reply to
Jim K...
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I can think of at least one reason for that :-)

Reply to
Jim K...

A corner of my house may be sinking: I had to cut almost half an inch at an angle off a sticky door, maybe six inches over ten years?

Is there a tool to measure the slope or position of the walls very accurately and then again a year later?

George

Reply to
George Miles

Yep, a theodolite .

You might find that an inclinometer app on the smartphone works quite well if there is something that you can put the smartphone on that doesn?t move by itself.

Or a laser level that you can put some marks on the wall and then do that a year later and compare the two sets of marks.

Reply to
AlexK

A Demec gauge may be what you're looking for. Made in Windsor!

For very small movements, glass microscope slides are sometimes used, glued across a crack for example.

Cheers

Reply to
Clive Arthur

After the last two hot summers, I have some of that going on here.

Not quite that bad here!

Things like cracks you can measure with three points fixed to either side and above/below the crack. Then take readings with a caliper. That gives relative vertical and lateral movement.

Marking points off on a wall from a projected laser level line can give an indication of up down movement of whole walls etc.

Slope you could do with one of those digital tilt meters used for measuring blade angles on table saws. (some of the posher laser tape measures can also do inclination measurement)

Reply to
John Rumm

I have a blob of (I think) Plaster of Paris molded over a crack, date scratched into the surface.

If the crack underneath moves, the blob cracks and the width and direction of the crack show amount and direction of movement...

Cheap, and requires no record-keeping.

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

If it's that much, a decent spirit level or a plumb bob should do the job. Check verticals and horizontals There will be cracks in masonry, you should cement/glue glass telltales over them and see if they break. Or just fill cracks with cement and see if it opens again.

Any repairs needed will be expensive. Any wall seriously out of plumb will need shoring to prevent collapse/injury to inhabitants.

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Reply to
harry

Many Victorian houses built on clay seem to always be on the move around here. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Actually, very very expensive. It may also be the case that buildings insurance does not fully cover such repairs, and perhaps in some cases may not cover them at all.

Reply to
Jeff Layman

That's a worrying amount of change. Clay soil or mining area?

It is a timber framed building as is common in areas with subsidence problems like Cheshire and are there any signs of cracks in the walls?

A plumb bob on a long string is as good as anything for a quick check.

A surveyor will put transparent gauges one on either side of any crack epoxied to the wall and monitor how it changes with time. They can also put reflective tags on and monitor how they move relative to some datum.

Reply to
Martin Brown

For once, I actually agree with Harry. My spirit levels have one bubble for checking horizontals, one for checking verticals and a third, in a rotating bezel, that gives a reading of the angle.

Reply to
nightjar

Apart from measuring it (plenty of good suggestions here), I remember seeing on TV a few years ago on one of the house renovation or auction programmes that the owner had a corner of his house dropping. The cause was found to be a damaged and leaking drain, that was slowly eroding away the soil on that corner, rather than mining subsidence or 'heave'. The drain was repaired, obviously, but I can't remember whether the corner was underpinned or not.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

6" is far too much movement to do nothing about. The rule of thumb is rebuild after 1".

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Do you actually mean that you cut half an inch off 6 inches length along the door?

Is there much evidence of cracks in mortar or plaster?

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Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

A building at work sank by 18 inches. On one side only!

Reply to
Bob Eager

Thanks for the replies, I've got to think more on it, make diagrams of the building, and measure the angles everywhere, remember my school geometry, get more advice and ideas from this group!

I'm guessing a plumb line indoors will be more accurate than a phone GPS or spirit level to get a true level, or maybe my two water jars and hose !

Roger Skill Builder was talking about them a few weeks back at

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thanks

[g]
Reply to
George Miles

But not 6 inches in 10 years :-) (according to the OP)

Reply to
Andrew

Doesn't P-o-P pick up moisture like car body filler does ?. This might affect what you are hoping to measure.

Reply to
Andrew

And even if you get the ins. co to pay for repairs, you are then stuck with them and their annual premium increases.

Reply to
Andrew

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