Calling your plumber in Brisbane can help prevent sinkholes!
Sinkholes opening up under people’s homes have been in the news lately, but how can calling your plumber in Brisbane prevent a sinkhole from developing? Well, there are two causes of sinkholes, either nature or man-made, and whilst the ones caused by nature can be outside the realms of your plumber to prevent or fix, the man-made sinkholes can be prevented by your local plumber.
Sinkholes made by nature
In 2013, a sinkhole opened up below the bedroom of a Florida home in the USA, swallowing the occupant who was in bed at the time and who has never been found. The sinkhole was 10 metres wide and 20 metres deep, whilst the one that swallowed a three-story building in Guatemala during 2010 was 60 metres deep.
Sinkholes occur when acidic rain filters into the ground, dissolving rock and forming caverns that eventually collapse, resulting in a cavernous hole. If found early enough, they can be rectified, but it’s not often that this happens. These type of sinkholes will require more expertise than a simple plumber in Brisbane to fix!
Plumbers can help prevent man-made sinkholes
Man-made sinkholes, such as the one that opened up in Ocean Shores, just south of the Gold Coast in NSW can be caused by a broken storm water system or sewage pipes. This small hole that opened up in 2013 was only 40cm wide, but it was at least 2 metres deep and posed a significant threat to local residents and traffic.
These sinkholes occur when underground pipes leak water, causing the surrounding soil to become eroded, and creating an underground cavern. A sudden and heavy downpour can make the ground too heavy to sustain and the roof of the cavern suddenly gives way and collapses.
The way to ensure that these man-made sinkholes don’t open up on your property is to have your local plumber in Brisbane check your underground sewage pipes and your storm water system for any cracks, breaks or leaks. You also don’t want to have the drain pipes from your roof emptying onto the ground and not into the storm water system.
Another tip is to watch for sagging trees or fence posts in your yard, as well as doors or windows that no longer close properly, as these might be signs of an imminent collapse and formation of a sinkhole. Call us on 07 3297 6517 or send us an email and we can come out and inspect your sewage pipes and storm water system, just to be on the safe side.
