Cracks following extension

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14 Apr 2020
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Hi,
I had a 2 storey extension completed about 6months ago, which involves opening up the kitchen by removing a wall, inserting a beam and building an extra bedroom above the new half of the open kitchen. Initially I noticed some cracks in the old room above the kitchen, this was to be expected. The wall which sits on the beam, and below the window in that room. Following the horrendous weather we had recently with all the rain then when we had some warm weather, it sounded like you could here some movement coming from the loft one morning. Then recently I’ve noticed quite a few hairline cracks around the house, and the porch has cracked around where it joins to the house. I spoke to the architect who seems to think it’s ok and the house has took a battering with all the work and is now settling. Should I be concerned? Below are a few cracks. Also in the new kitchen there are 2 vertical cracks, large, the width of the plasterboard, would this just be due to plasterboard shrinking and if so what’s the best way to sort it?
Thanks
 

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Are you on clay? Periods of extreme weather i.e. very wet followed by warm and dry is never good for buildings on clay substrate. They do look typical of settlement and thermal/seasonal movement though.
 
I spoke to the architect who seems to think it’s ok and the house has took a battering with all the work and is now settling. Should I be concerned?
You should be concerned with that Architect.

Beams on existing work don't settle, well they should not settle or move. The existing house has done it's settling 12 months after it was built, and retrospectively inserted beams are designed to take loading straightaway without settling.

As for new extensions, they may well settle in which case a competent designer allows for this in his design.

I wonder if your "Architect" is giving you some speil to protect his possibly negligent design?
Alternatively, perhaps the builders have not carried out the work correctly.

Bottom line is that new or existing walls should not crack, unless something is wrong.
 
Are you on clay? Periods of extreme weather i.e. very wet followed by warm and dry is never good for buildings on clay substrate. They do look typical of settlement and thermal/seasonal movement though.
Yes, it is on clay as far as I’m aware, I saw them dig the footings for the new extension. It is quite an old house and we had a few of the rooms re plastered when we moved I. so not sure how many cracks were there before but there have been a lot of new ones all round the house
 
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Settlement! is that what they are calling it when the foundations aren't good enough.
 
Some more pictures of the extension
& house from a bit more distance would be helpful.
 

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