The Met Office have reported that the UK has had the driest first 6 months of the year since 1929. 

As temperatures rise there is more chance of soil drying out causing the ground to shrink, the trees then drain what little moisture is left causing the ground to move. Foundations in clay soils are at particular risk as clay is more likely to shrink and swell.  When the ground shrinks the foundations will literally ‘fall’ causing movement in the form of cracks coming up from the corners of doors and windows and in the corners of ceilings.   Cracks that are wider at the top than the bottom are normally indicative of ground movement.  

If you spot suspicious cracks, contact your insurer to start the claims process. The insurer will send an expert to examine the problem and may monitor the property for up to 12 months. Today, underpinning is rare. Most subsidence problems can be dealt with by professional removal or pruning of trees and repairs to drains, followed by a period of monitoring which is essential to measure any subsequent movement and confirm when the property has stabilised.  

Removing the cause of subsidence, (trees / broken drains), will then allow the ground to return to its natural state but during this process the moisture balance of the soil will change causing the ground to swell (heave) which will push up any structures built on top of it.  

Brewsters offer a complete service  for subsidence claims providing a cost effective and quality solution.

Despite the rainy weather many of us have had over the past week, this has been one of the driest summers in the past 50 years, and homeowners are warned this means the threat of subsidence – which could cause hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage to their properties – has increased.

Halifax, which saw a 22 per cent increase in insurance claims for subsidence last year, says that with hotter weather subsidence is a danger in many parts of Britain. About 70 per cent of this damage is down to shrinking clay soil, commonly found in the South-east, says the insurer. Trees and hedges planted too near to buildings take moisture from the soil, extending their roots and causing the ground to shift and the building’s foundations to crack. Other contributing factors are blocked or damaged drains which may leak water and wash away soil.

The cost of repairs can easily spiral and claims for this type of restoration take a sizeable chunk out of the insurers’ pockets. In 2009, insurers paid out £175m against subsidence claims, says the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Some homes can even be completely destroyed so it’s vital for homeowners to have appropriate cover and to keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs. Many cracks are innocent and can often close during the wetter winter months, but if they don’t, or grow beyond 5mm in width, it’s time to call the insurance company.

“Signs of subsidence include cracks that begin at the corners of windows and doors, can be seen from both sides of the wall, and get wider from one end to the other. Windows and doors that are no longer easy to open or close can also be a sign that something is amiss,” says Neil Curling, a senior claims manager at Halifax.

If your property has no history of previous subsidence, all standard building insurance policies will provide cover. Most expect policyholders to pay an excess of £1,000, and if you live in a high-risk area, determined by soil maps, you are already paying more for your insurance than those in lower-risk areas.

“Pretty much every underwriter in the UK uses sophisticated geological modelling to assess the risk of subsidence in individual post codes. So if you have never made a claim for subsidence you can be sure your insurance provider is hedging its bets and is loading your premium with the appropriate risk level,” says Darren Black from comparison site Confused.com.

There will also be exclusions and limits, so review your policy to see exactly what you’re covered for and by how much. Some insurers may exclude damage to external walls and patios hit by subsidence, for example, while others may refuse to cover for flooring and peripheral features so always check the small print.

Another thing to look out for is providers dropping subsidence and flood cover from some of their standard policies. “With the recent trend of building new housing developments on brownfield sites (which generally have higher subsidence risk), this is something that first-time buyers should really be aware of when they are purchasing their first policy,” says Mr Black.

If you do have to make a claim, don’t expect your insurer to act quickly. Many claims can drag on as insurers will want to monitor the situation to assess the best course of action. Subsidence as well as heave claims (when the property rises rather than falls) require a lot of investigative work and insurers will use specialist structural engineers to take measurements and monitor the situation over a period before the repairs start.

In the worst-case scenario, your home will need to be underpinned by digging out and replacing the foundations. It is a costly affair, potentially tens of thousands, so you can expect a steep increase in premiums. Your insurer may also include a clause in your policy that makes you liable for a certain proportion of any subsidence-related claim. Mr Black says that this can vary from as little as £50 to tens of thousands of pounds depending on the insurance provider’s assessment of how likely you are to make a claim.

The big problem is that the stigma of subsidence stays with any property, and most insurers will steer clear of a house that has faced subsidence problems in the past. If you want to buy a property that has had subsidence issues, you may find that you’re left with little choice but to stick with the current insurer.

“It does make sense for the existing insurer to continue to cover and there is an agreement in place that says they will do that, but you will need to have a new policy,” says Steve Foulsham from the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba).

There does come a point, however, once a property has been corrected and stabilised for two or three years, that you may be better off looking elsewhere for your insurance.

Specialist brokers such as Bureau Insurance Services, for example, are designed to help homeowners with high-risk properties, and after inspecting your property may be able to offer a cheaper policy. Biba say that Bureau can help homeowners struggling to arrange appropriate insurance for such a property in about 90 per cent of cases, but be warned that this may require you to agree to a higher excess than the industry standard of £1,000.

Above all, the message is to stay calm and remember that prevention is better than cure so take steps now to avoid subsidence issues later. Find out what type of soil your home is built on – if you can roll the soil into a ball easily it has high clay content and is at higher risk of subsidence. You should also think twice before planting trees or large shrubs near the house or any outbuildings.

The ABI says that trees more likely to cause problems include poplars, willows, elms and oaks. It’s also wise to keep your drains free of leaves and check your pipes for any splits which could lead to flooding. Finally, if you’re buying a property, it’s important to check for any past subsidence and have a thorough structural survey to identify any potential problems. You should also ask your surveyor to investigate potential underground mining excavations, which account for about 15 per cent of subsidence claims.

Source of information:  extract from The Independent

Auger, who specialise in drainage and subsidence investigations and repairs, were invited by Channel 4 to investigate with Sarah some of the problems encountered by some unlucky homeowners.

The series, which is currently showing on Tuesday evenings at 8:00pm, provides an insight into a variety of serious problems unsuspecting homeowners have inherited, from overflowing wells to cracks and subsidence.

Sarah investigates the cause of the problems, with assistance from Auger and other professionals, who offer the homeowners expert advice on how best to repair their homes.

The series, which covers some extreme defects, is sure to provide gripping entertainment and what better way to see Auger in action!

Catch up on the most recent episode here and for more information visit auger’s website

Knee deep in water, residents were being evacuated from their homes as rainwater mixed with sewage filled the streets.

Brewsters have extensive experience in project managing flood damage claims from beginning to end with overall emphasis on getting the homeowner back into their property as quickly as possible.

Our team of experts are ready to assist and co-ordinate any aspect of flood restoration work and have the added advantage of a structural engineering background.

Call us now on 0800 027 5130 to speak to a structural engineer for advice on how we can help.

Auger, who specilaise in drainage and subsidence investigations and repairs, were invited by Channel 4 to investigate with Sarah some of the problems encountered by some unlucky homeowners. 

The series, which is set to be aired in August this year, provides an insight into a variety of serious problems unsuspecting homeowners have inherited. 

Sarah investigates the cause of the problems, with the help of the professionals, who offer the homeowners expert advice on how best to repair their homes. 

The series, which covers some extreme problems, is sure to provide gripping entertainment and what better way to see Auger in action!

Brewster’s sister company ‘Auger’ who specilaise in drainage investigation and repairs have been shortlisted for this year’s WiN Awards; ‘Small Business of the Year’ category.

The Awards will be presented at the Wirral Investment Network Awards, an annual event that celebrates the success of Wirral based companies. 

Other nominees up for this year’s ‘Small Business of the Year’ award are Atlas Fire & Security Ltd and Halliwell Industrial & Marine Silencers Ltd.

The Awards ceremony takes place on 9th July 2010.  We wish Auger every success!

1. Talk to them.  Find out how your customers feel about you, and make sure they’re aware of what other products or services you can offer them. This could be as simple as asking if they need anything else whilst  they  are on the phone, or giving them a feedback card to fill out.
2. Be one of your customers. In the same way that you never listen to your own answering machine message, the business owner is often the one person who has never tried out the business. Try to experience what a customer would, paying attention to things like first impressions and how easy it is to use the website.  
3. Be brilliant at complaints. Having cause for complaint may not always put customers off, but having that complaint handled badly will .Deal with a complaint quickly, efficiently and politely and you could find that the customer leaves with a positive impression. If you can, have a dedicated person to deal with complaints, and encourage customer facing staff to resolve issues then and there.  
4. Make it easy for them to find you. Plaster your website and literature with contact details. If people can’t easily find how to contact your company, they will find it much easier to contact your rivals instead.  
5. Listen to what they’re saying—to other people. Often customers will not tell you what is wrong, they’ll just disappear and tell everyone else instead. Check on web forums and chatrooms  to find out what customers are saying  – this can be done via a simple internet search or by going to sites where your customers will be clustering. Also, consider having a forum on your website where customers can discuss and rate your products.
6. Invest in technology. Build a database containing information about sales opportunities and your customers  likes and dislikes, or information they have told you about future purchases.
7. Incentivise your staff. Learn from John Lewis. The retailer’s partnership structure means that all staff share  in its profits, resulting in extremely high quality customer service. If staff share in the performance of the company, they are more likely to go the extra mile.
8.  ….and keep them well informed. There’s nothing more frustrating than a waitress who doesn’t know anything about the menu she has just read out, or the computer store assistant who can barely tell the difference between an  Apple Mac and a PC. Constantly train staff about your products and services: customers are far more likely to buy from enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff, and will certainly remember that when making future purchases.

Taken from Solutions Summer 2010

Setting out at the foot of Ben Nevis in Scotland at 5:00pm on Friday 21st May, the team went on to conquer Scarfel Pike in the Lake District and finally made their descent from Snowdon in Wales with high spirits, a few blisters and a sore knee, completing the challenge Saturday afternoon in a very commendable 23 hours and 30 minutes!

Andrew has 11 years experience in sales and customer relationship management working with Bank of Scotland for 7 of those years and Norwich Union for 4.

Andrew is eager to take Brewsters forward and is looking forward to building relations with all of our clients, both old and new alike.

“Four days in to the volcanic ash travel chaos, and many SMEs are suffering from depleted workforces as their employees are stuck abroad. Three Royal Navy ships will be drafted in to help rescue some of the 150,000 stranded Britons, but the majority will be left to find their own way home.

When these stranded employees do return to work, how do you deal with their absence fairly and legally?

What do you need to do?

This will depend on your own policies. Many employers will have put a policy in place to cover emergency events such as this following the adverse weather conditions earlier in the year. If you don’t have any procedures to cover this, then your existing absence policy will apply.

If your employees are abroad for personal reasons, on holiday, for example, then you are entitled to request that either:

• they take additional holiday allowance to cover the time off;
• they take unpaid leave for the days that they weren’t at work; or
• make up the time owing (if possible).

Wherever possible, you should try to communicate with any stranded employees to agree on the most suitable arrangements”.

Source:  Sage Ltd