Act quickly to remedy structural problems and keep your property safe
Over time, structural issues may present themselves within your building. They need to be addressed urgently to prevent further problems and to ensure the safety of your structure is maintained.
At AUSCON Group we have a team of qualified Structural Engineers, who specialise specifically in repairing structural building issues such as:
• Termite Damage
• Underpinning
• Cracks
• Storm Damage
At the first sight of any structural related problems, contact our expert team for a full assessment of the damage and for a detailed plan of how the damage will be rectified to have your building looking and functioning just like new.
So how can you tell if you have structural damage?
The telltale signs include bowing of walls or a sagging roof, cracks around door frames or across walls and ceilings, windows or doors that appear to be stuck, gaps between wall and door joints, uneven bouncing floors, crumbling concrete, timber rot or termites. If you think you might be having any of these problems, don’t hesitate to contact the team at AUSCON Group who can promptly visit for a site inspection. Delaying structural repairs can quickly lead to bigger problems and greater costs, so our advice is to act as soon as you can.
Termite Damage
Termites may seem like a small problem easily fixed by pest control, however, termites may have already caused a significant amount of damage to a home by eating away at important wooden support structures such as beams, ceiling joists, and wall studs. They are also erratic in the way they eat and can cause a lot of damage quite quickly.
As soon as you have noticed any kind of termites in your property, call a Pest Controller immediately to eradicate not only the termites but their nests too. Don’t attempt to do this yourself as you don’t wish to force them into a new area of your home. You won’t necessarily see the termites if they are hidden away in the walls.
How can you tell if you have a termite problem?
It may appear similar to wood rot or water damage. If you see buckling wood, swollen walls or ceilings or notice the walls around windows, doors, and ledges are a little soft. A qualified pest controller will have special equipment to test whether you do in fact have termites within the walls. A regular maintenance schedule with a Pest Controller would be your best defence against termite infestation.
Once your Pest Controller has taken care of the termite problem, AUSCON Group will be ready to fix the structural damage caused. Our team of qualified builders and Structural Engineers will visit your property to do a full assessment of the damage, and advise the best course of action to rectify damage and get your building back to new. We pride ourselves on outstanding communication and will be upfront and honest with you around what needs to be done, what it might cost, and how we can best work to get the job done quickly and to a high standard.
Cracks
Cracks are a very good indicator of an underlying structural issue with your property. It is important to act quickly as soon as you notice a crack appears, in order to minimise further damage and make sure the building is safe. Cracks may appear in internal walls, external walls or in the foundation of your home. All three need to be taken seriously. Our qualified team of Structural Engineers and Builders can assess your cracks, determine the cause behind the problem, and how extensive the problem is.
Why do building cracks appear?
There can be a number of reasons for cracks appearing in your building.
It may be to do with poor design initially or poor construction
The ground underneath your building could have settled substantially after the excavation period used to clear the way for the house build, or you may have reactive soil types underneath your structure that have caused movement
Environmental catastrophes like droughts, floods or earthquakes
Water damage
Tree roots that are causing movement underneath your structure
Nearby excavation or construction (which is causing earth movement)
Aging building materials
Structural damage can be serious, and our team will prioritise your job to get you an honest and informative answer around the cause of the problem, and the steps that will need to be taken to rectify it. If cracks are hairline only, then it may be as simple as filling and painting. However, if the fracture is serious and causing real structural problems then our team will need to consider replacing stumps and steel, underpinning foundations and in worst cases complete reconstruction.
Storm Damage
Storms in NSW can cause significant damage to your home, and they can be extremely inconvenient and very stressful for your family or business. When a storm hits, our team have an emergency response protocol in place, so we can dispatch our tradesmen to your property immediately, to help assess the damage and determine how to get your home or business back to normal as soon as we possibly can.
Our team is qualified to assess the damage, identify what needs to be done and then get to work on fixing the problem. We offer the latest techniques in response to storm damage and have a large team of tradesmen ready to attend to all needs.
Underpinning
Underpinning is the strengthening of a buildings foundation, which is often required if the original foundation is found to not be stable or strong enough. Foundation problems may occur because of leaking pipes, poor building work when the home was built, inadequate drainage, tree roots that are causing damage ,or development at a neighbouring site that compromises the stability of your own property.
So how you know if you have structural damage to your foundation?
The tell tale signs of structural damage include sinking floors, cracked floors, and windows and doors that won’t budge. You need to act quickly at the first site of any of these problems, to avoid further damage and to ensure the safety of your property.
AUSCON Group have been fixing structurally damaged homes, slabs, driveways and structures for over 10 years. Our team of qualified Structural Engineers and our team of carpenters will work together to find the best underpinning solution to fix your foundation problems. We are up to date with the latest underpinning methods , and will work with you to find the solution that best suits your property needs.