Cracks on internal walls

[Aarontufft]

I've had a good read around the internet and this forum. I'd like a bit of confirmation on my findings from someone that knows a bit more than I do.

I've only been in my new house a month and over the past few days, since the cold has set in a load of hairline cracks have appeared on the internal walls of the house. (Pics attached)

The house is 1930's so I presume the internal solid brick walls were constructed with lime.

I believe these have appeared because of movement in the solid walls due to the change in temp, so the boards which are dabbed to the wall have also moved. The problem I have is how to repair them?

When I purchased the house I could see a few had already been filled in, but now there are like 20-30 in the living room (where we have the fire on so warm in the day and cools overnight), and the walls look unsightly now.

I could fill these in but I presume it would take a while and there is no guarentee they will re-appear or more will turn up. If I reskim the rooms on the original boards, this could also keep happening I presume?

Another option I believe is to take the walls back to brick and reboard then skim? What guarentee do I have that it won't crack again in the future?

Can I batton to the wall and then board on the battons? Or is that useless? What about lining paper? Is it good enough to hide any cracks that appear behind it?

Thanks in advance for any info from you guys!

 

[roughcaster]

Welcome to the Forum.
Are you saying that the cracked walls in your pics are dot and dabbed?

 

[Aarontufft]

Thanks.

I'm 99% sure. I don't have a great deal of experience with plastering but the internal walls are solid, so the boards must be dabbed onto the wall? Where the cracks are, tapping sounds very hollow but in other places around the wall where to dabs are as its gives a solid noise when tapped.

 

[roughcaster]

That cracking looks to me as though the plaster has come away from the surface, rather than cracks in plasterboard joints. Rub the back of your hand/fingernails gently over the wall, rather than tap,, you'll hear far more.

 

[Aarontufft]

When you say the plaster has come away from the surface, you mean the dabs have come away from the solid wall or the skim has come away from the front of the board?

 

[Aarontufft]

Ok, after a further investigation it seems there are no plasterboards, just the solid walls skimmed.

So what are my options? Don't want to pay ££'s for this to happen again next winter.

Thanks

 

[roughcaster]

I didn't think that was plasterboard underneath with that type of cracks. If it was me, I wouldn't bother trying to repair the plaster at all. If it was me, I'd take the wall back to brick, check the joints in the brickwork, re-point here and there if required, then batten the whole wall,, with Celotex insulation between the battens, then plasterboard the whole wall/s with12.5mm, foil backed plasterboard, then either tape or skim. End result, a nice warm wall/s.

 

[Aarontufft]

Thanks for your advice!

 

[roughcaster]

It wouldn't do any harm getting some advice from a "reputable local plasterer", for his opinion. Get him to come and take a close look, and say what he thinks.
As for me, you know what my opinion would be. Keep us informed anyway.

 

[vinn]

FWIW:These walls with the cracks are they internal walls eg do they have rooms on both sides of the wall?

OP, as you suggested, this could be thermal movement. Has C/H recently been installed?
Why not ask neighbours about their walls - cracks etc?
If you measure the thickness of the wall at any door openings it should tell you if there's any D&D present. Or remove a short length of skirting and check.

 

[Aarontufft]

Hi Vinn,

Yes they are internal walls, which have rooms either side. They also appear on the joining wall between next door (semi detatched). The cracks don't appear on any of the internal walls that are joined with the external wall (front,back,gabel end)

I know the person we bought the house off had a new boiler in April, but I believe this was an upgrade and not a new installation.

Thanks

 

[vinn]

In that case, there's not much point in insulating internal walls.
Do you know any of the history of the house - neighbours are good for this. Was it a fixer-upper or was it flipped?
Why would the previous owner install a new boiler just before selling?
What did the mortgage surveyor have to say?

 

[Aarontufft]

I understand there will be no benefit from insulating the internal walls.

Re: boiler - no idea? The house was neither a fixer-upped nor flipped. Is just in a good state of repair with very little to do.

Don't have any history on the house, will chat with the neibours soon though. Mortgage inspection proved faultless.

Im confident that the cracking in the wall is only superficial, especially as it happened over night on the first cold night of the winter. Just weighing up the options to make the wall look fresh again.