| DESICCATION | Drying of a (clay) soil below its optimum level which results in shrinkage. The drying is usually caused by uptake of moisture by a nearby tree or even shrub. |
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| FOUNDATION | The concrete or brickwork bearing directly onto the ground is the foundation. Older houses tend to have brick footings, and modern houses, concrete. |
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| HEAVE | The opposite of subsidence (and encountered less frequently) is known as heave. The building rises, and there are two possible causes. First, the removal of a mature tree (a tree older than your home) on a clay soil and second, the presence of an aggressive chemical fill. |
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| INVESTIGATIONS | Investigations take many forms, and amongst them are (a) testing drains, (b) digging a hole to expose the foundations, (c) sinking a hand auger to retrieve soils and (d) testing soils. The engineer carrying out the appraisal will arrange these to help him establish the cause of the damage if needed. Your garden, path, driveway etc., will be made good on completion. |
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| MITIGATION | Mitigation measures are the steps that we propose to take to abate the nuisance. For example, when ground has been softened by water escaping from a leaking drain, the mitigation would be to repair the drain. Alternatively, if a nearby tree was causing the damage, the mitigation might be to remove the tree. |
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| MONITORING | Measuring building movement over a period of time. This can take several forms. Small metal studs can be fixed to the wall either side of the crack, or readings are taken around the perimeter of a building using a theodolite. The readings are usually taken every two or three months. |
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| POLICY EXCESS | The amount you are required to contribute towards the claim settlement. In most cases (although conditions vary,) it may be around £1,000. The amount is defined in your policy booklet. |
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| POLICY INCEPTION | The date the contract of insurance commenced |
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| REBUILDING COST | The Sum Insured is based on the cost of rebuilding your home, and not its market value. The engineer or surveyor who calls to see you is required to assess whether the level of insurance is correct, and he bases his estimate on the tables provided by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rebuilding Cost Index, which takes account of the style of construction and location. |
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| RECOVERY | Can be used in two ways. First, when we are seeking to recover some or all of the repair costs from a Third Party and secondly, when a clay soil rehydrates following winter rainfall, the associated swelling of the soil is also known as ‘recovery’. |
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| SUBSIDENCE | The downward movement of the foundations. It can cause cracks to appear in walls, but fortunately is rarely serious enough to warrant more than superstructure repairs. |
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| SUM INSURED | See under ‘rebuilding cost’, above. |
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| UNDERPINNING | Placing concrete beneath the existing foundation to increase its depth. This is an exceptional solution and as a rule of thumb applies to around 3% of the valid claims we deal with. |
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| VALID CLAIM | This is a claim that your insurers accept, in whole or part, subject to the deduction of the policy excess. |
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