Bay windows/underpinning

Reg

Has anyone had any experience in sorting out a 'loose' bay on their victorian house? I understand that the movement/cracking around the bay is often due to the fact that the bays have much shallower foundations than the houses and are susceptible to movement. Is it better to underpin or tie the bay back? Ta

poxy

Yes. The answer is both! Consider it 'belt and braces'. The underpinning stops the bay from sinking and the tying-back stops it falling away from the house.

This consultation is free. I get more expensive, very quickly.

tosscat

Should be covered under your buildings insurance, although the excess is likely to be £1k.

Billy Bookcase

Ours was done twelve years ago. But it ended up being more than just the bay.
Happy to share that experience if it might help.

Liz

Just in the process of claiming for exactly this issue. At the moment, my insurance company are only intending to pay to have it repaired and tied back - I think this is quite normal but I'm having a go at seeing if they will underpin. I'll be paying the £1k excess too...

Reg

Great stuff all, so what is the ballpark cost for both underpinning and tie back? Not Poxy perhaps...

poxy

I used to run structural remediation projects for a local authority 'oop north, many years ago. A typical underpin and tie-back project would cost anywhere upwards of £8,000.

Granted, the specifications for local authority projects are more rigid and demanding and thus overheads for the contractors are higher pushing up prices but that should give you a ball-park from which to work.

My meter hasn't yet started ticking.

Billy Bookcase

Twelve years ago, my underpinning and a new set of bay windows was £18,000.