How to fill this settling crack?

[budest]

Hi guys,

Not long moved into a new development (Housing Assoc) and a long crack has developed right down the main wall in living room and I am at a lose as to how to fill it without it being very noticable!

Not the best quality camera I am using but just to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with. I can almost fit a credit card into the crack. I have been told to get in touch with the Housing Association and have them repair it properly due to the length and bredth of the crack, what do the professionals think?

Thanks in advance

 

[joe-90]

Let them do it. They'll probably scrim it and skim over.

 

[gregers]

yep agree let them see to it,iirc the builders have a year to maintain the development before the housing associations builders take over,i know they did when i lived in my new house(h/association).

 

[Richard C]

I agree let them do it but I think it will need more than just filler; but maybe that’s all they will do anyway. Cracks like that are not normally serious but if the blocks underneath are also cracked (& they probably are), no amount of filler will hold it together & it will crack open again. An effective repair usually involves removal of a considerable amount of plaster, a steel reinforcing lath, new render base over the repair & then replastering.

 

[roughcaster]

Oh dear!! yet another new build. Some 500 year old castles would be jealous of a crack like that!!

 

[sparkwright]

Is the wall totally solid, that has been plastered over in the traditional way?

Or is it sheets of plasterboard, sounding hollow when you tap the wall?

Does the crack extend to below that socket?

 

[TDSBurton]

elafib over fine scrim, for aethestics only, get it looked at.

 

[budest]

Is the wall totally solid, that has been plastered over in the traditional way?

Yes I believe so, it is def solid.

Does the crack extend to below that socket?

Yesh it does a bit to the elft of it though, have a look (excuse my shadow)..

..it stops round about the bottow of the photo, a few inched above the skirting. There is another finer crack to the left of that crack also a few inches below the socket and a few inches above the skirting..

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate it. Had some seriously sound advice from this forum. Second to none.

 

[SgtTrojan]

lol I love the shadow puppet on the second to last pic Is it a parrot?

 

[budest]

lol I love the shadow puppet on the second to last pic Is it a parrot?

Damn, someone cottoned on lol

 

[finfloor]

Hi,
I think you need to focus on that area...you need to have an expert and let the housing association to know that concern so that they can have immediate action with your problem...

 

[budest]

Thanks guys. I have been on to the Housing Association who are arranging for someone to come out and have a look at it (though it could be up to 4 weeks as it's not seen as urgent).

 

[sparkwright]

No doubt if they do fix it, they will smear filler over it; and the crack will be back in a few weeks.

Is there a crack in the flat (?) below or above?

 

[johnheritage]

Agree, they fix it.

If you have to fix it, buy some multipurpose quick drying filler from toolstation.com (about £2.50 for a big tub) and just wipe over it, then smooth over it as it's wet, let it dry, then repaint. Then ask for a refund on the materials. Save the photos as evidence of it being there.

Cracks are 100% normal for new plasterwork. They'll be expecting it. Bypass everyone on the customer services side and get straight down to it with someone in charge.

"There's a crack in my wall, I know it's normal for plasterwork and that it's only a small job but it looks horrible, can you send someone to fix it".

In a court, the judge would say... "well it's normal for plasterwork to crack a bit on a new development", to which you'd say "yes, but it isn't how I bought it, without the cracks and without being told that". You win, hands down. The judge would only ask that for the sake of it, he'd be biased to your side and would probably just go straight to telling the builder to refill the crack.

Plasters will expect that call, and it's not hard to fix at all. I was doing it all today. Buildings move, the plaster doesn't, it cracks a tiny bit, it needs a bit of filler.

It's not just you, don't stress it, almost everyone sees these.

I'd estimate the job time on that as 30 - 60s filling it, go do something else and let it dry, repaint time 60s. Charge..... based on what else you can get on with in the meantime and if you did the work or not. Personally, if someone complained about something like the pictures, I'd just fill it for free.

I also like the shadows.

 

[Richard C]

Cracks are 100% normal for new plasterwork. They'll be expecting it. Bypass everyone on the customer services side and get straight down to it with someone in charge.I'd estimate the job time on that as 30 - 60s filling it, go do something else and let it dry, repaint time 60s. Charge..... based on what else you can get on with in the meantime and if you did the work or not.

Shrinkage cracks are normal on new properties (but not new plasterwork) but, looking at that one, I reckon it’s more than just shrinkage & I’ll put money on the block work being cracked underneath. It's not a serious problem but no amount of filler is going to repair it; a bit of DIY & a little cash but after a few months, you'll still be left with ------ a crack