Hi. My builder has completed a kitchen wrap around single storey extension (8m by 5.5m). Project was completed around May/June. I’ve now started to notice some cracks on the ceiling and has got me worried that it’s something Structual. I’ve taken some pictures. The cracks are all in the new part of the house, some near to where the steel beams / lantern is located. The ceiling itself seems to be level, ie hasn’t dropped or anything like that. Hoping someone has some advise on what the best course of action is and whether it looks like something to worry about. Thanks
Cracks in the ceiling of single storey kitchen extension
- Thread starter Jay003
- Start date
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What has your builder said about it?
Andy
Andy
Ok, Is he going to come round and make good?
Andy
Andy
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You always get movement on new extensions, normally it's just a decorator for a day to sort out.
Andy
Andy
Yes you will get settlement cracks and with it being cold have you had the heating blasting out. This will of dried out timbers faster than normal. Scrape out the crack about 1mm to a V groove and at the end of each crack if possible drill a hole thru it to stop it getting longer. PVA the grooves and use a flexible fine filler and sand down when dry.
Those cracks are not normal but abnormal.
They are shrinkage, not settlement cracks (if the builder says they are settlement then that's more serious and onerous for him), but they are extreme in any case.
The cause is either his poor quality work (and some of that skimming is crap btw), or its down to you cranking the heating up. I'd argue on the former.
They are shrinkage, not settlement cracks (if the builder says they are settlement then that's more serious and onerous for him), but they are extreme in any case.
The cause is either his poor quality work (and some of that skimming is crap btw), or its down to you cranking the heating up. I'd argue on the former.
They will just crack again.
They need re-scrimming, and that's a big job which will involve reskimming the whole lot to stop it looking like a chessboard.
Could it be that he didn't tape the plasterboard? Saw similar in my parents house when it was skimmed really well, but the guy didn't use scrim tape, and it all cracked in a matter of months
Might be worth trying a flexible filler, some of them are pretty good
Might be worth trying a flexible filler, some of them are pretty good
Yes maybe. If the OP looks into the cracks he'll see if there are any broken fibres visible.
It seems fairly typical to me.....but on the severe side.
Theses days structural timbers like ceiling joists are stored outside at the builders merchants -they often arrive on site totally saturated.
If the weather turns wet during the build, it gets soaked more.
its not a surprise the plasterboard cracks as it all dries out.
These days walls crack as well -thermalite blocks are so weak they crack -they are in fact weaker than the mortar -Ive seen loads of new extensions with floor to ceiling cracks (bonding and mulitfinish, not dot n dab).
Theses days structural timbers like ceiling joists are stored outside at the builders merchants -they often arrive on site totally saturated.
If the weather turns wet during the build, it gets soaked more.
its not a surprise the plasterboard cracks as it all dries out.
These days walls crack as well -thermalite blocks are so weak they crack -they are in fact weaker than the mortar -Ive seen loads of new extensions with floor to ceiling cracks (bonding and mulitfinish, not dot n dab).
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