Imagine the following scenario: you are enjoying a flat black in an hip Melbourne café when you suddenly become aware of unevenness on the floor find here. Although building experts may ignore it, this is a major red flag. Engineers interchangeably use the word “underpinning”, but it is actually the structural integrity of the city’s buildings that keep them safe.

What is then the foundation for it all? Imagine that your home is an old friend, who has stood by you in both good and bad circumstances. In both the physical and symbolic senses, they have become cracked with age. A sturdy pair of crutches, like underpinning can help your friend stand taller once again. Underpinning is the process of strengthening an existing building’s or structure’s foundation.

Why is Melbourne so desperate for this? Melbourne weather can be unpredictable, and so can our soil. The soil can be like quicksand at one time and rock-solid the next. Homeowners who are worth their salt will be worried about the structural issues that can arise from these ground disturbances. They can cause buildings to settle unevenly.

There are many ways to approach this problem. The traditional way to underpin is by pouring new concrete underneath the foundation. Consider buying some well-cushioned, new shoes for your home. Alternately, you can screw steel piles into the ground in order to stabilize objects below. This is an updated version of screw piling.

You’ve heard of people who claim to be “as tough as an ox”. Our goal with underpinning is to ensure that your structure remains stable no matter what Mother Nature may throw at it. Although it is not always simple to achieve, the goal is worth the effort. To work as one, you need adroit minds and deft fingers.

If your floors start to sink, or if your walls split open, you may wonder if duct tape will fix the problem. This won’t work–spoiler! Swift solutions are not addressing the core issue, and could cause further problems. These solutions are like applying lipstick to a pig.

Melbourne is full to the brim with old houses, each one unique and bursting with character. Consider the Victorian bungalow on my block owned by Mrs. Jenkins. She noticed her doors sticking more often during the previous summer. Another time, her foundations moved because of changes in soil moisture. A competent underpinning job completed by knowledgeable specialists in the area restored her beautiful house to its original condition in no time.

However, we must not deceive ourselves–underpinning is not a choice that is made while having breakfast at St Kilda Beach and leafing through a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. To ensure structural integrity concerns and the soil conditions, comprehensive evaluations are required by experts familiar with all details of this important undertaking.

Yes, it’s expensive. You may be tempted to pay more upfront, but if the tiny fissures turn into enormous chasms in the future, wouldn’t you rather pay now than twice as much? Treatment is always more expensive than prevention, just like the decision between regular dental exams and needing root canals!

The underpinning of Melbourne’s buildings is critical to their structural integrity in the face a variety of environmental challenges. This can be anything from shifting soil caused by weather patterns to wear from decades of use. It is not the right place to make conclusions.

When you are sipping your cappuccino and walking by those beautiful heritage homes on our streets, remember the unsung underpinning hero that keeps everything together!