Cracks. Cracks..Structural problems?

[russ72]

HI, could someone give me an idea on these cracks..we had our offer accepted £5,000 under as in need of modernising..the bungalow is 100ish years old and has been vacant for over a year..it has a 12 by 10 extension built on the side wall and an arch built next to the chimney wall. there is a large crack running down from radiator in extension, crack on extension wall..two diagonal cracks on main house opposite chimney wall, crack running on hall ceiling and crack around back bedroom door. The external brickwork has a couple of motor cracks running down. We are only having a homebuyers report as was told structual would not tell us why and how, so we are expecting to have to pay for SE. Having sleepless night at the moment. thank you Loraine.

hall

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
• 1

bedroom

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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chimney side wall

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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extention

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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back wall

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
• 1

Untitled

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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extention

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
• 1

 

[Agile]

These are all what I would call relatively minor cracks.

But get a surveyor and they will make a mountain out of it to protect themselves.

There will always be a reason for cracks but most of yours seen to relatively localised.

One house I know had a crack about 20mm across running up the end wall from ground to the apex of the roof. It was tennanted so was left like that for many years.

Eventually the landlord decided to do something and it was found the problem was a sewer running alongside the house which was leaking. That was fixed and the house was then pointed along the crack after the ground had fully dried out and its been fine for the last two years.

I bought a house with a settlement of the rear extension. There was a surveyors report blaming "underground streams" and recommending a mini pile system tom underpin it. I found it was just because an RWP had been terminated under the back yard paving stones and had washed sand away from the foundations. I jacked up the wall about 70mm and underpinned with strip foundations and its fine now.

Tony

 

[Static]

We are only having a homebuyers report as was told structual would not tell us why and how, so we are expecting to have to pay for SE.

Told by who? The building surveyor doing the report? Well pfft!
Chances are the homebuyers report will have a line on it saying: "cracks in various places recommended that a structural survey is carried out" etc etc.. unless its pretty obvious as to the cracking reason.. but least the report will tell you the wiring is old and the boiler needs replacing..


Anyways based on the one photo of each heres best guess on the cracks, would normally need to poke about the place to give a full idea..

Ceiling crack looks like someone was boucing around too much in the loft and caused a minor crack in the plasterboard.. check the walls each side and see if the crack runs down them if not, then simple crack repair to artex..

Door crack around lintel looks like just normal movement in the wall nothing special, but check the door still sits in the frame and doesnt wedge in a corner which can indicate a far greater problem

Random diagonal crack, appears to only be in the plaster, probably a shrinkage crack if the plaster is <10yrs old..

Crack in corner near sliding door, is this the other side of the extension? Photo isnt great, cant really see the crack too well

Brickwork crack, well someone made a measuring error.. seems like the crack is re-occuring and has been repaired in the past.. is this the division between old and new extension?

Brickwork crack 2, urm same as above? Other side or same crack?

Crack under window, would need to know the length of the wall that occurs on, as well as general location in building.. look outside the window for cracks around the window corners as well as inside.. could just be thermal movement in internal blockwork..

Nothing to lose sleep over really..

 

[russ72]

Thank you for both your replys..as to the ceiling crack there is a hairline crack running about 5" under the coving.
The crack near sliding door is in the extension and the crack under the window runs down the back of radiator meeting the skirting.
they are the only two in the extension the rest are in the main bungalow. As for the brickwork its around the back door built into extension.
the second brickwork is under the kitchen window. The plaster has blown on chimney breast which looks like has water damage.
the back door in extension looks like its dropped or not fitted properly. once again thanks for all the help, Loraine.

Untitled

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
• 1

chimney other side made into archway for extention.

Untitled

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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back door in extention.

Untitled

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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under bedroom window.

Untitled

• russ72
• 28 May 2010
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drawing to show random cracks.

 

[theoldun]

Would not loose any sleep over any of those cracks. They all appear to be either lateral or thermal movement.
If they are all the cracks you have in a 100 year old building, then she is not in bad nick.
old un.

 

[homes]

I agree with oldun them cracks are very minor movement caused over a period of a hundred years. Don't worry too much it's expected and I see a lot of it in older proprties.

 

[joe-90]

If the house in on clay soil that would account for it.

 

[russ72]

If the house in on clay soil that would account for it.

Yes i think it is, as my husband works for the water board and when he was renewing a water main on that road he said there was clay.. Does that mean the house is possible to subside or just move in seasons?