[Help] Urgent Advice Required Re Hole Under Driveway.

BLOCK F said:

We have a brick paved driveway and yesterday I discovered that a hole/void/sinkhole has appeared under the driveway resulting in a brick disappearing into it. I managed to retrieve the brick by stretching down into it, but have measured, via the scientific use of a broom handle, that the hole goes down to about three and a half feet. I suppose this could be caused by either a leaking sewer pipe or mains water supply pipe, or maybe not. There are no foul smells emanating from the hole and there is no great puddle of water down there, but as expected, it is damp. We don’t have a water meter so I can’t investigate a possible leak via that, but there is no obvious loss of water pressure at the kitchen tap and there appears to be no obvious blockage of waste water and sewage.
The hole is to the side of the driveway and not far from a detached garage and obviously I want to find out the cause of the hole before it does more damage and before I get it filled in.
. Should I contact the relevant water companies first or perhaps my insurance company? Any advice from those on here who know about these things would be greatly appreciated. At my advanced years, things like this stress me a bit!

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KZNSeagull said:

You don't live anywhere near Southwick Tunnel perchance?

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BLOCK F said:

No, we live near Chichester.
Why?

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KZNSeagull said:

Just being silly - secret nuclear bunker, aliens, tunnelling etc.

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BLOCK F said:

I’ll look down the hole and see if there are any dodgy looking inter planetary geezers down there.
As an aside, the best nuclear bunker I have visited is in Kelvedon Hatch in Essex. Well worth a visit if you are over that way and it is your thing.

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Hudson Hawk said:

I bought a house that had historical subsidence where a drain collapsed and the house was underpinned.

I did think about it and had second thoughts, but a surveyor said to me that a house that has been underpinned and reinforced with loads of extra concrete and steel, isn't going anywhere. And what it likely to suffer subsidence, this reinforced house or next door, or another house that hasn't had any.

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Bodian said:

Be very wary about getting insurance involved too early. 24 years ago, the drain at the front of our house blocked/cracked leading to 'water escape' and a small crack appearing in a wall. It was all solved relatively easily, with the drain being dug up and relined, and the slight crack in one wall of our house and the neighbours house being stabilised. 24 years ago.

But because the then owners employed a 'subsidence company' and organised the work on behalf of them and the neighbours - we have been stuck with house insurance premiums that are double our neighbours for every year since then. It's impossible to get cheap online quotes - because they always ask about subsidence (even though it wasn't really subsidence and isn't likely to happen again just because it happened once - that is, it's not an underlying geological problem), and chuck you out of the system. You have to approach the companies direct.

Fortunately, some places ask about 'subsidence in the last 25 years' - so I'm hoping it will go away as a problem next year.

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Harry Wilson's tackle said:

I had a similar problem when I asked the insurance to look at cracks in a wall 20 years ago. They suggested I check for subsidence. It was deemed there was no subsidence. But because I had had a check for subsidence this meant I 'had subsidence' so they doubled my premium. Wankers. I changed insurers.

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Harry Wilson's tackle said:

I had a similar problem when I asked the insurance to look at cracks in a wall 20 years ago. They suggested I check for subsidence. It was deemed there was no subsidence. But because I had had a check for subsidence this meant I 'had subsidence' so they doubled my premium. Wankers. I changed insurers.

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LamieRobertson said:

So how is the subsidence now?

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LamieRobertson said:

So how is the subsidence now?

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Bodian said:

I agree. Insurance companies don't!

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KZNSeagull said:

Is that the one with the road signs that point the way to the "Secret Nuclear Bunker"?

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BLOCK F said:

I haven’t been for years, but I would imagine so.
Very thought provoking and spooky place.

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BLOCK F said:

Interim update on the driveway hole.
Portsmouth Water confirmed it was not a mains leak and I have had a visit from a civil engineer whose company also do domestic driveways etc. He was sure it wasn't caused by faulty drains and his chaps are currently digging to enlarge the hole to see if they can get any clues. It may have been caused by historical digging and pipe laying way in the past or possibly vermin that may be living under our summer house! Anyway, the hole will be filled in with a suitable mix of concrete, prior to us having the driveway relaid. Further update, have just been called out by the chaps who have discovered a small tunnel leading in the direction of the field opposite us, which leads them to believe it could be rats from there. They have tried filling it up with water to ascertain if it stops, but with no success. Boss will be informed and the lads are off to the depot to load up with concrete. What a pain, but good job we took action when we did!

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LamieRobertson said:

Siberian hamsters surely

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LamieRobertson said:

Siberian hamsters surely

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BLOCK F said:

Interim update on the driveway hole.
Portsmouth Water confirmed it was not a mains leak and I have had a visit from a civil engineer whose company also do domestic driveways etc. He was sure it wasn't caused by faulty drains and his chaps are currently digging to enlarge the hole to see if they can get any clues. It may have been caused by historical digging and pipe laying way in the past or possibly vermin that may be living under our summer house! Anyway, the hole will be filled in with a suitable mix of concrete, prior to us having the driveway relaid. Further update, have just been called out by the chaps who have discovered a small tunnel leading in the direction of the field opposite us, which leads them to believe it could be rats from there. They have tried filling it up with water to ascertain if it stops, but with no success. Boss will be informed and the lads are off to the depot to load up with concrete. What a pain, but good job we took action when we did!

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