Sustainable foundations – In a faster and cleaner way
Solid foundation, seamless installation
A reliable solution for modern home extensions
Expanding your home is exciting, but it starts with the right foundation. Our ground screw system offers a reliable solution, even in narrow or tight spaces, making it ideal for house extensions. We deliver complete foundation solutions tailored to your project from start to finish. With our expert assistance, we handle everything from the initial calculations to the fully installed foundation, ensuring precision and quality at every step. With certified performance and a commitment to sustainability, our ground screws provide a solid base for efficient and durable home expansions.
StopDigging’s commitment to quality and sustainability – Backed by ISO Certification
At StopDigging, we are committed to the highest standards of quality, sustainability, and efficiency in everything we do. Our ISO certifications are a testament to this dedication, ensuring that our products, processes, and services consistently meet international standards.
Our ISO Certifications
| Material | EN 10027-1:2016: S235 JR |
| Product CE | EN 1090 |
| Galvanization | ISO 1461:2009 |
| Manufacturing process | EN 1090 / ISO 9001:2015 |
| Installation process | ISO 9001:2015 |
Tailored solutions for every extension type
A house extension can be approached in several ways. Whether you’re adding a classic brick extension, a modular unit, or a timber frame build, StopDigging has the ideal ground screw foundation to match your project’s requirements.
Brick extensions
Brick extensions are known for their durability and classic appeal, requiring a solid and stable foundation to support the heavy structure. Our ground screws can be used in either of the following examples:
Under-slab piling
A classic way of securing the foundation is with a concrete slab. SGC and/or SGX ground screws can efficiently be used as support pilings, joined to the foundation rebar. With this technique, a shallow 400 mm concrete slab is often enough, significantly reducing concrete use and excavation while ensuring stability.
Steel beam support
For larger or heavier brick extensions, a steel beam can be placed on top of the ground screws to distribute the load across multiple points. This enhances stability and is ideal for sites requiring extra support due to soil conditions or the extension’s weight.
Modular extensions
Modular extensions are prefabricated and assembled on-site, needing a foundation that is quick to install, adaptable, and capable of supporting a lighter structure. Our solution combines SGC adapter screws with one of our several bracket adapters, ensuring unmatched flexibility for lighter, prefabricated structures.
Timber frame extensions
Timber frame extensions are lightweight and flexible in design, calling for a foundation that provides stability while complementing timber’s sustainable attributes. For timber frame extensions, we use our SGC or SGX adapter screws combined with either SGE or SGL bracket adapters.
SGC adapter screw
Reliable and secure for under-slab piling, modular builds, and lighter timber frames with standard load requirements.
SGX adapter screw
Designed for robust applications, including steel beam support, heavy timber frames, and challenging soil environments.
Bracket adapters
Our SGE and SGL bracket adapters provides flexibility and strength, adapting to timber’s unique structural needs when combined with SGC or SGX screws.
More information about all our ground screws and adapters
Designed and developed in Sweden
All of our ground screws are designed and developed in Sweden, embodying Swedish precision and upholding the highest standards of quality, durability, and environmental responsibility. This commitment ensures reliable performance in a wide range of environments. By selecting these specialised ground screws, we guarantee that each foundation our professional partners build is not only structurally sound but also seamlessly integrated into its natural surroundings.
Challenges in house extensions – Solved with ground screws
StopDigging ground screws is a great solution to overcome common challenges in house extensions. Below, we’ve outlined the key reasons why:
| Foundation challenges | How ground screws provide solutions with brick, modular or timber frame extensions |
|---|---|
| Unstable soils | Ground screws adapt to soft or mixed soils, providing deep anchoring to prevent settling. |
| Uneven terrain | Ground screws are adaptable to slopes or uneven ground without major excavation needed. |
| Site access | Many home extensions need more site access, especially in urban or densely developed areas, making the transportation and operation of large machinery difficult. Ground screws require only lightweight equipment, making them ideal for projects where access is limited. |
| Weather climates | Unlike concrete, ground screws can be installed year-round, even in frost or rain, saving time and keeping projects on schedule. Heavy brick extensions are susceptible to frost heave. Ground screws anchor below the frost line, protecting brick structures from seasonal ground shifts and preventing misalignment. |
Case study
Timber framed extension built on sustainable ground screw foundations
Background
Demand for an eco-friendly extension
This project was passed to our StopDigging Manchester partners by one of their clients, a glazing company, who were asked to install their products into a timber framed extension building. The client mentioned that the end user had opted for an eco-friendly extension, as environmental sustainability was important to them.
The area typically has poor ground conditions, and when neighbouring properties have traditional, heavy, brick-built extensions, concrete piles 6 to 12 metres deep are needed. The end user was keen to avoid this, both in terms of the brick-built extension itself and the concrete piles on which it is supported.
The challenge
Challenges with ground conditions and building regulations
The environmental challenge with this project was that the ground needed to be more suitable for a heavy traditional extension constructed in brickwork. The ground had a solid soil layer extending to about 2.5 metres deep but turned soft and sedimentary beneath it. Heavy construction in the area typically required long concrete piles, ranging from 6 to 12 meters, to penetrate through the sedimentary layers and reach more stable, high-quality soil at much greater depths.
When the engineers looked at the ground type, they determined that a lighter building could easily be supported within the first 2.5 metres of a substrate and agreed that ground screws were the way to achieve this.
The second major challenge was getting Building Control to accept this foundation method, as they had previously only dealt with the longer concrete piles in this area. They were not familiar with ground screw technology.
The solution
Demonstrating the strength of ground screws
The engineers looked at the weight of the new building, as well as line and point loads. They returned with a suggested pile load, and StopDigging Manchester then conducted on-site compression testing to see which of our products would be suitable. They opted for our SGC 89x2000mm screw.
Building Control was present when the tests were carried out so they could see the process and the results. This was very beneficial as it helped the Building Control Authority to understand the method of installing ground screws and also their capabilities and practicalities. Building Control then requested that they be on-site during the installation of the ground screws. They were impressed that the extension could be built on 2-metre ground screws, whereas traditional extensions required somewhere between 6 to 12 metre-long piles, and these piles were concrete. They saw how little waste material was created compared with their concrete alternatives.
The second major challenge was getting Building Control to accept this foundation method, as they had previously only dealt with the longer concrete piles in this area. They were not familiar with ground screw technology.
The result
Less used material and a satisfied client with a sustainable extension
Today, the client has a beautiful, light, and airy extension added to their home, and they couldn’t be more delighted. They thanked the StopDigging Manchester team and said that this extension would never have been built without their intervention and providing a cost-effective solution to the foundations. Using ground screws turned out to be a far more sustainable solution than the timber-framed extension with piling.
Furthermore, they now have a foundation that shares the same sustainability aspect as the extension, which the client felt strongly about and was delighted to achieve. In addition, the local authority was impressed with the solution StopDigging provided, and our team is now a preferred provider of foundations for lightweight home extensions in that area.
Get in touch
Are you interested in a quote for your project with our ground screw solutions? Or would you like to work with us? Contact us here for quotes, partnership inquiries, and other questions about your project. We are here to help!
Commitment
to sustainable
foundations
Our solutions are designed with the environment in mind, minimising impact while maximising efficiency. By using ground screws and sustainable materials, we reduce soil disturbance, lower emissions, and adapt seamlessly to various terrains—including challenging sites like steep slopes and remote areas. This approach supports clean installations that respect and protect natural ecosystems, aligning with our commitment to sustainable development.
