I recently moved into a red-brick 1930s semi, ex council house.
Before buying, I had a Homebuyers survey done. They did not report any sign of structural movement or significant cracking, but did report some problems described as common to properties of this age: uneven doorways, uneven flooring, slight undulation to ceilings. They mentioned that a partition had been created in a wall and part of the chimney breast had been removed, but no significant cracking was observed. We were unable to get building regulations for these alterations from the seller.
Since moving in, I am terrified that there is major structural movement or subsidence. I keep noticing hairline cracks around doorways and am very conscious of the uneven floors. Much of the house is wallpapered so the condition of the plaster isn't entirely clear.
There is no obvious cracking on the exterior walls, but I do notice that a lot of the brickwork has been replaced about the windows on the front wall. I am now worried that the previous owners must have replaced that brickwork because it was full of subsidence cracks, that the fix is only cosmetic and that the problem will return.
Or is there a simpler explanation -- e.g. would it be standard procedure to put new bricks there when they fitted the new windows?
I realize that I need to get a structural engineer to look at this rather than asking an Internet forum, but I'm panicking a bit and would really appreciate your views.
Before buying, I had a Homebuyers survey done. They did not report any sign of structural movement or significant cracking, but did report some problems described as common to properties of this age: uneven doorways, uneven flooring, slight undulation to ceilings. They mentioned that a partition had been created in a wall and part of the chimney breast had been removed, but no significant cracking was observed. We were unable to get building regulations for these alterations from the seller.
Since moving in, I am terrified that there is major structural movement or subsidence. I keep noticing hairline cracks around doorways and am very conscious of the uneven floors. Much of the house is wallpapered so the condition of the plaster isn't entirely clear.
There is no obvious cracking on the exterior walls, but I do notice that a lot of the brickwork has been replaced about the windows on the front wall. I am now worried that the previous owners must have replaced that brickwork because it was full of subsidence cracks, that the fix is only cosmetic and that the problem will return.
Or is there a simpler explanation -- e.g. would it be standard procedure to put new bricks there when they fitted the new windows?
I realize that I need to get a structural engineer to look at this rather than asking an Internet forum, but I'm panicking a bit and would really appreciate your views.
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