Oh, Melbourne. What city has a culture, weather and coffee as vibrant as Melbourne? You could say the city keeps you on edge. The story behind the trams’ chatter and the trams themselves is not well known. This is about the Rectify Underpinning of a building – it might not seem glamorous but you’ll find that this topic has more to offer than what meets the eye.
So, what’s underpinning? Imagine using a waistband to tighten pants that are getting a bit loose. It’s the same for building foundations. If they are starting to crack or sink because of the soil beneath, then underpinning is what you need. Melbourne is a city with erratic weather conditions and soils of all types.
Imagine you were enjoying an afternoon of sunshine in your yard, when suddenly, your home walls are covered with cracks large enough to hold a rave. Melbourne soil can do that, particularly the clay-rich variety which likes to shrink and expand with water.
You need not be afraid! Here’s when underpinning can help. This is similar to giving your house sturdy boots, so that it will be able to withstand whatever the terrain decides.
So, what are they doing? The tricks they use are numerous. The old method of pouring concrete beneath the existing foundation will give it extra support. It’s like adding more legs to an unstable table. Resin injection is something you’d see in a sci-fi film. It’s a brilliant idea – they literally inject glue to the ground in order for it to hold the soil together.
Let’s also not forget screw piles. These sound boring but are really giant screws, drilled deeply into the ground to reach stable soil. The house will not move.
Peace of mind is also a goal. You can feel more secure knowing your home is not going to suddenly decide it wants to move.
It also preserves the history. Melbourne’s old houses tell stories of decades gone by. These links to the heritage of our city could be lost without underpinning. No one would want to work or reside in a Leaning Tower of Pisa-style building.
For those with green fingers: You can be kinder to our environment by renovating what you already own instead of starting from scratch. Mother Nature enjoys a rest when less trash is thrown in landfills, and resources are not needed to build new structures.
The key is to look for someone who has experience with underpinning as every building will have its own quirks. Like that friend of yours who insists their sandwich must be cut diagonally, or it just “doesn’t taste right.” The person you choose should be able to take the time to understand your problem before offering a solution.
Underpinning is fascinating, even if it doesn’t make for great conversation at dinner parties. The next time you walk through Melbourne streets, stop to take in not only what is visible but what lies below.