Those Victorian terraces lining Balham's leafy streets weren't built on guesswork. Today's extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms demand the same solid groundwork that's kept SW12's properties standing strong for over a century.
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Balham's mix of London clay and occasional gravel pockets creates unique challenges for foundation work. Whether you're planning a rear extension on Ramsden Road or underpinning a subsiding bay window near the Common, proper groundwork determines everything that follows. Local building control officers know these streets well, and they'll expect foundations that match the area's specific soil conditions.
Strip foundations suit most Balham properties, diving 1-1.2m into stable ground beneath the clay's seasonal movement zone. Raft foundations occasionally prove necessary where tree roots from those magnificent plane trees have dried the subsoil. Mini-piled solutions handle trickier spots, particularly near Network Rail's embankments or where neighbouring party walls restrict traditional excavation methods.
Twenty-three years digging beneath SW12's streets teaches you which corners flood during heavy rain and where old Anderson shelters still lurk. Building control inspections run smoothly when they recognise crews who understand Wandsworth's requirements inside out.
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Single-storey rear extensions typically require £8,000-£15,000 for foundations, though deeper excavations near mature trees or poor ground can push costs toward £20,000. Each plot varies considerably.
Absolutely - from Nightingale Lane across to Trinity Road, including all those Victorian conversions around Bedford Hill and newer developments near Balham station.
Standard residential footings take 2-3 weeks including excavation, concrete pours and building control sign-offs. Complex underpinning projects might stretch to 6-8 weeks.
Structural foundations carry our decade-long guarantee, backed by professional indemnity insurance. This covers both the concrete work and any ground movement issues arising from our excavations.
Definitely - we regularly tie new foundations into Victorian footings using reinforced concrete stitching methods approved by structural engineers. Sometimes existing foundations prove perfectly adequate after proper assessment.
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