Conservatories

Conservatory added to Newbuild seems to be subsiding

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.52 PM

My house was built about 12 years ago, conservatory added by previous owner more recently. I bought house 4 years ago and in that time a 1.5-2cm gap has appeared under skirting at rear in conservatory. I think the house is on piles with floating floors as there are air bricks and I asked a builder about converting conservatory to a garden room and he said I couldn’t because of large trees at rear of property (it would need 12ft deep footings apparently and there’s no access for machinery). Is this gap (increasing year by year) dangerous? Will I be sitting in the conservatory one day and it falls down? It’s generally well constructed but perhaps not for the soil conditions. I planted a small (so far less than 1m high) hawthorn hedge down one side of the house, only 1.2m away - could that be causing the problem? I don’t know how serious this is or what to do so advice would be appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to answer my question. At the moment there are no cracks in walls or anything like that, just this gap under skirting - and I do have large trees very close to the house although not in my garden (e.g. less than 20m away is a large oak with TPO) and I believe the soil here is clay, so I think it is the continual very dry weather causing the problem. Praying for lots of rain. INDUS you are absolutely right to say 'it sounds like who ever built it did not check the ground and put deep enough footings in' because the house itself is on piles and the conservatory isn't. Thanks again everyone.