help the floor is sinking victorian house

[cestlavielife]

renting lovely victorian basement flat - definite slope in living room now - towards internal walls of flat (ps there are also new cracks in bay wall near french window)

and two inch plus gap developed between skirting board and floor. ie skirting baord now "hanging" above the floor... was doing clear out and old pens, crayons, small balls had all rolled into it... some have diaspppeared down inside.

[and worried the mice will now come back]

definite slope and major hole appearing - along one wall about 1.5 metres as far as fireplace; also the perpendicular wall beginning to sag too and there is a gap developing along skirting board. ie floor is simply dropping away.....

wooden floors laid on top of old joists...

i need to tell landlady right?

but v worried this could be mega job and I will need to move out! really cannot face that... have 3 dc

decoration, floors etc were redone before i moved in in 2008 - in 2010 floor in one bedroom collapsed - basically they had carpeted on top of rotting floorboards. there was also a leak in a pipe under floorboards which they fixed. her builders ripped up half bedroom floor/carpet, put down chipboard to replace rotting floorboards and all was good...

however i think the living room is going to be more a disruption as they would need to rip up all the wooden flooring ?

Sounds serious and, yes, probably very disruptive to fix. Sorry.
At least you rent it and don't own it!

Tell the LL asap. Is anyone digging out their basement or doing other major works next door?

Either tell your LL or don't complain when you fall through a hole into the basement one day! You need to think about your DC, a bit of inconvenience is better than falling into a hole in the ground!

I know someone this happened to. They had to move out for six weeks while special foam was pumped under the house.

I know someone this happened to. They had to move out for six weeks while special foam was pumped under the house.

I think that your LL will have to arrange alternative accommodation while the work is being done if the flat becomes uninhabitable during it.

I'd be worried about the safety of my children due to the stability of the building rather than thinking about inconvenience. Of course, tell the landlady. Surprised you asked really.

so it's a wooden floor and getting worse

my money is on a water leak. A Victorian house might still have iron or lead water pipes under or beside it, they've had a good life but are past it now.

It could also be a drain or sewer leak, especially in the case of recent buffoon alterations or flat roof, but IMO what are describing is more likely water pipe. Start by calling the water company who will (should) be very interested in finding the cause.

The building owner is likely to have a substantial insurance claim.

If you're worried about mice, get some wire wool (from B&Q, Ebay or similar) and pack it into the gap. Mice can't chew through it and it's an effective deterrent.

Re having to move out, depending on LL's insurance, this may be organised via insurance company but best to let LL know of problem asap or it could affect an insurance claim if the problem's been left to worsen.

PigletJohn there is sometimes a sewer-y whiff that could well be a leak under the boards...

repair was done at the last bedroom floor collapse when a pipe was found leaking - i do suspect that when floor waas laid it waas a) laid ontop of half rotten boards (as per in the bedroom) and b) pipes were not checked.

no flat roof.

tree in garden was lopped after it died so maybe roots retracting? (clay soil)

sigh.
will email LL with photos....

[there are some nice serviced apartments not toofar away wonder if we would get housed there temporarily if insurance claim?]