Is Your Office Building Signalling The Need For Commercial Underpinning?

Is Your Office Building Signalling The Need For Commercial Underpinning?

Is Your Office Building Signalling The Need For Commercial Underpinning?

7 May 2019
 Categories:
Construction & Contractors, Blog


Foundation issues are bound to crop up in any type of building, whether residential or commercial. The key to preventing irreparable damage to your structure is knowing what to look for before the destruction becomes extensive and possibly leads to complete property loss. It should be noted that foundation problems do not occur overnight. As long as you know what to look for at the onset of disrepair, you can significantly prevent undue damage to the entire foundation and possibly minimise your repair costs too! If you own a commercial property, here are some signals from your building indicating the looming need for underpinning that you should not overlook.

Gaps in the fascia

One of the first areas that you should inspect when concerned about progressive foundation damage is the fascia. The fascia refers to a band that runs along the line of your roof. This band has two main functions. For starters, it functions as an aesthetic inclusion to the roof since it looks similar to trimming. Secondly, the fascia connects the ends of both the trusses and the rafters. Since the fascia is in your line of sight, its condition is an easy way of diagnosing foundation problems.

Unexplainable gaps between the fascia and the roof should alert you to shifting of the foundation, which causes the fascia to come apart. Furthermore, check for places that the fascia has disconnected from the walls too. A contractor will not only examine the fascia but will also inspect the frieze to establish if your foundation is indeed in jeopardy.

Issues with your plumbing

Another sign of potential foundation damage in your commercial property is recurring issues with your plumbing. Plumbing problems tend to be a prevalent issue that all property owners have to deal with. Irrespective of whether you a few or numerous employees at your workplace, the frequency of use coupled with regular wear will lead to plumbing issues. For that reason, some property owners tend to overlook plumbing problems as a sign of foundation disrepair since they do not know the connection.

When you notice you are experiencing the same types of plumbing problems, usually in the form of burst or cracked underground pipes, it could mean that your foundation is no longer stable. When the foundation shifts, the movement forces the plumbing hardware into strange positions that will eventually cause the pipes to acquire damage too! When you notice these plumbing problems are becoming commonplace, you should hire contractors to determine if your building requires commercial underpinning.

About Me
Planning Contractors and Construction Work

If you are planning to carry out construction work on the interior or exterior of your home, you should first take professional advice. My home is located on quite a steep hill and I decided that I would like to build an extension. Not only would this involve digging a new foundation, it would also involve backfilling some areas of land so the new extension would be properly supported. I decided to call my friend who works as a contractor for a construction company. He offered me lots of great advice and thanks to him the job was a complete success.

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