Hi all,
I'm in the process of having a 1920s semi renovated.
The plasterer is currently working his way through the house. A week ago I had the lounge plastered. I had pulled off all the loose plaster, and it has been filled where needed to the original plaster and then the whole room covered in blue grit and skimmed. Inside side / top walls of the window opening have been plasterboarded then skimmed.
The plasterer was back this weekend to start work upstairs. Midway through the day yesterday he noticed a 1mm crack in the new plastered lounge, around 2-3 inches from the top of the window, running for around 2 feet (window is almost 8 feet wide). He had checked the edges first thing that day and didn't think the crack was there. I noticed that the plaster above the crack appeared dry (white), but below it was still drying
He was surprised to see it there and have me two possible reasons..
1 - that the crack had appeared because he was plastering to the original plaster, but he was surprised it had cracked so quickly if that was the case.
2 - this sounded more worrying to me... That because he had been working in the room above, and he is quite a sturdy built guy, that there could have been a fraction of a movement in the windows timber lintel from the floor joists above where he was working.
Has anyone ever heard of the latter happening, and if so now significant could this be?
I had the property surveyed before I purchased it and structurally it was reported back as sound (not that they could have seen this I appreciate). The plasterer said he hadn't notched any obvious issues when he saw the lintel prior it plastering.
I'm a bit worried that if it's serious - worst case could be fitting a new lintel? Given the newly plastered room and renovation budget fast diminishing - I really hope I don't have to consider this..
Views would be appreciated! I will try post a picture later on today when I go over to the house.
Thanks
Robin
I'm in the process of having a 1920s semi renovated.
The plasterer is currently working his way through the house. A week ago I had the lounge plastered. I had pulled off all the loose plaster, and it has been filled where needed to the original plaster and then the whole room covered in blue grit and skimmed. Inside side / top walls of the window opening have been plasterboarded then skimmed.
The plasterer was back this weekend to start work upstairs. Midway through the day yesterday he noticed a 1mm crack in the new plastered lounge, around 2-3 inches from the top of the window, running for around 2 feet (window is almost 8 feet wide). He had checked the edges first thing that day and didn't think the crack was there. I noticed that the plaster above the crack appeared dry (white), but below it was still drying
He was surprised to see it there and have me two possible reasons..
1 - that the crack had appeared because he was plastering to the original plaster, but he was surprised it had cracked so quickly if that was the case.
2 - this sounded more worrying to me... That because he had been working in the room above, and he is quite a sturdy built guy, that there could have been a fraction of a movement in the windows timber lintel from the floor joists above where he was working.
Has anyone ever heard of the latter happening, and if so now significant could this be?
I had the property surveyed before I purchased it and structurally it was reported back as sound (not that they could have seen this I appreciate). The plasterer said he hadn't notched any obvious issues when he saw the lintel prior it plastering.
I'm a bit worried that if it's serious - worst case could be fitting a new lintel? Given the newly plastered room and renovation budget fast diminishing - I really hope I don't have to consider this..
Views would be appreciated! I will try post a picture later on today when I go over to the house.
Thanks
Robin