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Subsidence and
Accidental damage to underground drains
With increasing local temperatures, the frequency of subsidence
claims are on an upward trend. The conditions of the 2003 summer are
expected to leave insurers with close to £400m payments due solely to
subsidence claims (Catovsky 2004).
We recommend that all our care home clients review the trees close to
their homes, as these will take up water from the soil in dry
conditions - this is one of the most common causes of subsidence. If
you have trees within 25 metres of your home, contact a local tree
surgeon to see what needs to be done to minimise the risk of
subsidence.
One care home
client recently observed some minor cracks in the building of her care
home and after a structural engineer's visit and the fitting of some
"tell-tales", it has been agreed that the home needs complete
underpinning at a cost in excess of £45,000. The home may also need to
close for a few months which will obviously be a tremendous
inconvenience to both the home and its residents.
In a similar manner to subsidence, in
hot, dry conditions, roots of trees seek out all the possible water
sources. One of the most common water sources is your underground
water pipes. We have seen clients' claims for damaged water pipes rise
substantially over the past three years. While the insurance cover is
there, the smell and inconvenience of having your soil pipes dug up is
extremely disruptive to any care home.
We recommend that all clients have a
detailed plan showing where their underground pipes flow and if any
are close to tree roots, again contact a local tree surgeon. Should
you require any further information regarding this, please do not
hesitate to contact us on 08450 582040.
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