Describe what you have noticed
Canterbury
Find out what the cracks in your Canterbury home mean
A new line in the plaster or a door that sticks can be hard to ignore. You do not need to guess whether it matters. Describe what you have noticed, and a specialist firm will tell you what to look for next.
- No obligation to proceed
- Specialists familiar with Kent ground
- Listed building experience available
In your area
Ground movement help covering Canterbury
Canterbury sits where the Stour valley gravels meet chalk. Homes here range from flint-walled cottages to newer builds on the valley edge. Enquiries from any part of the city are taken, and a local specialist firm responds to each one directly.
- Stour valley alluvium
- Soft river deposits compress over time. Houses built near the Stour often settle unevenly as the ground beneath them changes moisture.
- Flint and lime mortar
- Older walls made of flint rubble set in lime mortar move differently to brick. Cracks follow the joints rather than splitting stones.
- Chalk beyond the valley
- Where the ground rises onto chalk, swallow holes occasionally open. This causes sudden drops rather than slow, predictable settlement.
What owners usually want to know first
These are the ordinary questions people ask when they notice something has shifted. None of them are silly, and a specialist firm answers them every day.
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Is this crack in my flint wall serious?
Flint walls crack along mortar lines. A specialist looks at the width, direction and location to judge if it matters.
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My Georgian house is listed. Who decides what can be done?
Listed building work requires specific consent. The specialist firm assesses the structure and advises on what the council allows.
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Will the timber frame keep moving?
Timber frames flex more than masonry. A specialist checks whether the movement is seasonal shrinkage or something deeper.
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Why does my newer house on the valley edge stick?
Newer homes on gravel near the Stour sit on ground that changes with water levels. Doors jam when the soil shifts.
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Do I need underpinning or just monitoring?
That depends on the cause. The specialist firm investigates the ground before recommending any structural work.
How specialists approach ground movement
Each method suits different ground conditions and types of damage. The right one depends on what the investigation finds beneath the home.
Towns across Kent covered for ground movement
Enquiries are taken from homes anywhere in the county. A specialist firm operating in the relevant area handles each case, so the response fits the local ground conditions.
If your town is missing, send an enquiry anyway. Coverage extends across the whole of Kent.
Tell someone what you have noticed at home
Send a short description of the problem. It costs nothing to ask, and a specialist firm replies with what to check next.