The municipality of Emmen will receive 1 million euros from the government for further research into foundation damage to houses. The money must be used to investigate how repairs of the damage can be accelerated and costs reduced.
Foundation damage can occur when the ground beneath a home sinks unevenly. The result: cracks in the walls, moisture, tilting and uncertainty about the safety of a house.
The repair costs are high and that is why many homeowners postpone it. However, this can cause costs to rise even further.
There are houses with foundation damage in various places in the municipality of Emmen. One of the reasons is that peat in the subsoil has become dry, causing the soil to sink.
The dry period from 2018 to 2020 accelerated that process. It mainly occurs along canals and peat areas between villages.
Because Emmen worked closely with the province of Drenthe and the Vechtstromen water board, a lot of knowledge has been built up about the causes and approach. Together with five other so-called frontrunner areas in the Netherlands, we are now working together within the National Approach to Foundation Problems (NAF) to work on solutions nationally.
“By participating as a leading municipality, we can learn more quickly what works and how we can better help residents. The contribution from the government helps us to take an important step forward in this regard,” says councilor Jan Bos (Wakker Emmen).
To improve the approach, help is needed from residents with foundation damage. The councilor therefore calls on residents of Emmen to contact the Soil Subsidence service point if they are confronted with the problem.
Bos: “We think along with them and their experience helps us to develop better solutions for the entire municipality.”
The amount of 1 million euros from the government will further identify where and why the problems occur. The municipality is also investigating how repairs can be cheaper and what support residents need if they encounter foundation damage.
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