Underground Hazards To Consider Before Buying Your Dream House
Owning a home is one of the major investments one can have. Due to the amount of funds that you will have to put into the investment, it is good to ensure that you get the very best that there is. You should against the possible risks that you may face when you own that dream home. Unfortunately, most people only have their houses checked for obvious risks such as the building’s structural integrity, environmental hazards and water resources but fail to check on underground risks.
Underground hazards have become more pronounced than in the past. You need a qualified inspection contractor to verify if your home to be is free of the s risks as explained below.
• Sinkholes
These are natural depressions or holes of the surface of the earth. They are caused by natural dissolution of underneath carbonate rocks or the sand stone. This hole could be anything between one to six hundred metres wide and deep. They can be formed gradually or suddenly. The anural formation of sinkholes is due to gradual erosion of soluble bedrock such as limestone or collapse of a cave roof. Artificial sinkholes are due to human activity such as abandoned mines or salt caverns. The breaking of water and sewer pipes may open up these surfaces leading to formation of sinkholes. A geological study would show which areas are prone to getting sinkholes.
• Floodplains
Floodplains are low flat grounds around lakes, rivers and other water bodies which collect excess water from above the normal water levels on the bodies. Incase of heavy rainfall, these areas are at risk of being flooded. With the rapid expansion of cities, authorities have largely ignored the risk of floodplains. It is a matter of great concern that needs to be addressed.
• Contamination sites
There are sites where toxic waste has been buried. A list of these places are available at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This list also gives some proposed sites. You should have a look at the list to know the proximity of any site to your indentified home. Get an analysis of the risk to you stand to face if you plan to buy a home within the proximity of the contamination site.
• Solid waste and landfill sites are a potential health hazard.
Such areas may be at risk of sinkholes or contamination of underground water sources through ground seepage. In addition, the inspection should give information of any underground storage tanks and their contents.
Floods can be a very dangerous natural disaster because a flood has the power to move cars, buildings, and cause massive damage to life and property. Even the small floods that are only 30 centimetres or so can do massive damage to houses and if the
party in the past placed hazardous wastes there. ( The seller of a foundry was
A major flood on any river is both a long-term and a short-term event, particularly any river basin where human influence has exerted "control" over the ri...
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering took ground water samples that showed volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the supply well. This well was formerly used for drinking water for the community. The results indicated that the ground water beneath the property was contaminated with radioactive material and VOCs. A sphagnum bog on the grounds had evidence of radioactive contamination. The soil, sediment, surface water, and ground water on the site had high levels of depleted uranium. On some of the soil and sediments, Poly Chlorinated Bi-phenyls were recorded. The buildings and structures on the grounds were as well contaminated with depleted uranium and other hazardous substances.
Property owner(s) should have the correct protective gear if the area is deemed unsafe to work in. Contaminated areas should be well marked to identify the existence of Asbestos.
When it floods sediments can affect the land by losing nutrients in the soil and it can also affect the clarity of
Reese, C.D. and Eidson, J.V. (1999). Handbook of OSHA construction safety and health. Boca Raton, FL. CRC Press
From that point, we also cover ways to protect your home from these scavengers, especially for those who live in apartments or duplexes as these types of buildings often suffer from multiple colonies and sources.
Environmental hazards arise as well from hazardous materials and waste. Hazardous materials concerns could arise from spills of gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, or solvents from containers or vehicles. Spills could contaminate soils or leach into ground or surface water. And environmental hazards could adversely affect humans, wild life, vegetation and water supply.
In addition to water from lakes and rivers, groundwater can also be contaminated. Groundwater contamination can originate from several sources. First of all, groundwater can be contaminated by gas leaks from storage tanks, which have chemicals such as oil). In addition, toxic leaks from landfill sites and leaks of industrial chemicals from manufacturing sites can also cause groundwater contamination, as chemicals can leak into the groundwater if they are not managed properly. Bacteria can also
Aside from causing costly repairs in the future, poorly built homes may pose hazards for your family like a trip, fall, or slip caused by improperly built staircases. That is why you should hire a reliable home builder in [ln] like [cn]. Here’s why;
Technological and accidental hazards can be occur without warning and can be both hazardous material incidents and failures at nuclear power plant. In some cases, victims that have been exposed to harmful chemicals or radiation show little to no symptoms until several years later. There are an increasing number of new substances and chemicals being manufactured which has increased the likelihood of a hazardous material spill or release. This also increases the risk to the environment and to the health and safety of a community.
Wang, J.Y. and Liu, C.L, 2004, “Risk Management for Construction Projects”, Beijing: China Water Publication.