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'The house will collapse': homeowners fear for their safety in Northern Ireland construction scandal

Guardian, 01 Oct 2021
Féilim and Jacinta Henry's house near Carndonagh, Northern Ireland, is being held together with metal braces. Their house was built with dangerous amounts of micas in building blocks. Micas are naturally occurring minerals found in rocks used in construction blocks, but too much of them in a block causes it to absorb water like a sponge, eventually making it crumble. They have been told their home is at danger of 'catastrophic collapse' so have moved to one side of the house. They cannot afford to move out and pay rent as well as a mortgage, so they family are staying put and hoping the government will come up with a 100% compensation scheme
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