When a gutter becomes a footing problem
Damaged gutters and disconnected drains can move a slab. How we trace the link.
In short: Water from the roof has to go somewhere. If it goes into the ground beside the slab, the clay will respond.
The chain
A damaged gutter overflows, the ground at that corner gets wetter than the rest, the clay swells, and that part of the house lifts.
What we check
Gutter and fascia condition, downpipe connections, drains near the footings and moisture readings along the slab edge.
Masonry signs
Cracking and loose bricks near a wet corner often line up with a drainage fault.
Fixing it
Repairing the drainage usually comes first. Wall repairs done before the moisture is stable often crack again.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Wyndham Vale. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
