Resin injection vs underpinning — side by side.
Both methods restore load‑bearing capacity beneath your foundations. They are otherwise nothing alike.
Not every project suits resin.
For very deep clay subsidence with significant active movement, for some heritage buildings, or where the underlying issue is a persistent leak — underpinning may still be the correct specification. We'll tell you if it's the case for your property, even though we don't deliver it.
In 90% of domestic cases.
For shrinkage‑related subsidence in cohesive soils — which is the overwhelming majority of UK claims — resin treats the cause faster, cheaper and with a fraction of the disruption.
From clay shrinkage in the 1980s to nationwide standard.
Resin injection was first introduced in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It was originally specified to treat subsidence caused by clay shrinkage in the South East — the same shrink / swell cycle that drives the bulk of UK claims today.
Forty years later, the technique has been extended to address subsidence from tree‑root activity, leaking drains, historic mining, and made‑ground instability. The chemistry of the resin has improved, the engineering protocols around it have standardised, and the case studies behind it now number in the hundreds of thousands across the UK alone.
An eco‑friendly alternative to underpinning.
Underpinning removes spoil, concrete and steel by the tonne. Resin treatment removes essentially none of those. Per project we measure roughly a 95% reduction in site‑arising waste versus the equivalent underpinning specification.
The resin itself is UK‑sourced, solvent‑free and emits no VOCs during cure.
Our environmental policyHow long does resin injection last?
The short answer is decades. Once cured — which happens within around fifteen minutes of injection — the resin forms a structural mass beneath the footing that remains load‑bearing for the life of the building.
The longest installations in the UK date back to the late 1980s and are still performing as installed. Every project we deliver is backed by our 10‑year written warranty.
The three forms of ground movement.
Knowing which one you've got is half the work. Our survey identifies the cause before we quote.
Subsidence
Downward movement of the ground beneath a structure, after the building was completed. Most often caused by shrink/swell clay, leaking drains or tree roots.
Settlement
Even, expected compaction of the ground beneath a new build in its first few years. Cosmetically uncomfortable, structurally normal.
Heave
Upward movement of the ground beneath a footing — the opposite of subsidence. Often follows tree removal, as the clay rehydrates and swells back up.
The crack stops growing the moment you call.
Tell us what you're seeing. We'll book a same‑week survey, produce a written engineering report, and quote in plain numbers.