That's what I was thinking too, having seen some of the pricing estimates for surveyors. You could probably pay for the issue to be fixed for the price of a structural report. The good news is that I'm certain there's been no remedial or cover-up work done internally.
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I don't think it's the case, but check that the vertical crack isn't wider at the top than the bottom. If so then the far end of the extension would be sinking, i.e. it would be tipping downwards away from the original building.
If it's a consistent thickness from top to bottom then it's probably just shrinkage. Most modern builders don't tooth in the bricks as has been done here, as they know they'll get called back a couple of years later after it cracks. The modern approach is to accept movement will occur and build in a movement joint, i.e. a deliberate neat crack full of flexible material.
You could retrospectively add a movement joint, but it's possible that it's done all the moving it wants to and just needs filling. I had a top-to-bottom crack on an internal wall that's where new and old meet. I got it skimmed over 5 years ago and the crack hasn't reappeared.
If the floor is concrete then it may have sunk, or it may have been badly built by someone who didn't take much care. A few bags of screed could solve it, or you could just decide to not care.
If it's a consistent thickness from top to bottom then it's probably just shrinkage. Most modern builders don't tooth in the bricks as has been done here, as they know they'll get called back a couple of years later after it cracks. The modern approach is to accept movement will occur and build in a movement joint, i.e. a deliberate neat crack full of flexible material.
You could retrospectively add a movement joint, but it's possible that it's done all the moving it wants to and just needs filling. I had a top-to-bottom crack on an internal wall that's where new and old meet. I got it skimmed over 5 years ago and the crack hasn't reappeared.
If the floor is concrete then it may have sunk, or it may have been badly built by someone who didn't take much care. A few bags of screed could solve it, or you could just decide to not care.
Thanks. The crack width is difficult to determine because someone appears to have tried to cram it with window putty or the like at some point in the past. If it is wider, and I'm not sure it is, then it's a 1 - 2mm difference max. I think the build quality is pretty grim, which could account for the whole sorry thing. I'm hopefully having someone check it out in the next week or two.
I know. Difficult to believe anyone would implement it, let alone accept it. If I buy the place that boiler's going in the first week along with its myriad ducts and pipes and absurd cubic water 'cylinder'.
Could that be one of those miracle phase change heat stores? If so they're allegedly pretty good.
I'm wondering if the boiler etc was installed under a grant? We'd had similar botched work done here previously, a shower room conversion with an extractor fan blowing through an internal wall into the garage!
But it may well be decent gear, despite the botched installation.
I'm wondering if the boiler etc was installed under a grant? We'd had similar botched work done here previously, a shower room conversion with an extractor fan blowing through an internal wall into the garage!
But it may well be decent gear, despite the botched installation.
Maybe you're onto something there. Here's a photo. I wondered why the 'storage cylinder' was a cube - maybe because it's one of these phase change gizmos? Of course I'd have it checked out before I did anything with it, but if so then it's one less job (and I can put the money towards fixing the extension, if needs be).
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The previous owner of our house had central heating installed after securing a grant. The 'workmanship' was truly horrible.
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Looks like two header tanks insulated with polystyrene sheets? If so, one is for the central heating and the other will supply the hot water storage cylinder. I can't quite see the gas boiler, but this looks to be a fairly standard setup. Unless those tanks are empty and obsolete, we know it's not a combi boiler.
Pity it's a truss roof as the head height looks pretty good! Get a combi boiler or an ASHP and you'll have room for a dormer bedroom with an ensuite! There you go, all planned out for ya! Haha!
Odd thing is, there's no hot water cylinder in the house. That's why I thought something odd was going on with that tank. Not that I know anything about boilers, other than I like my current Worcester with Hive and I want something as good or better in the new place.
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I stripped our old oil boiler system out last year and fitted an ASHP.
We've used every type of boiler in the different houses we've renovated over the years and honestly, we really do prefer the ASHP system. You'll read lots of negative stuff about them, but it's a case of horses for courses. We like a cool house, so we tick along at 18°C in the winter. Hot water is instant (and constant) and we only get one bill, which ranges from £45pm summer to £130pm winter. For us at least, it's much more economical. We're currently using about 4kw per day.
And if that doesn't send you all you sleep, I don't know what will! Lol
We've used every type of boiler in the different houses we've renovated over the years and honestly, we really do prefer the ASHP system. You'll read lots of negative stuff about them, but it's a case of horses for courses. We like a cool house, so we tick along at 18°C in the winter. Hot water is instant (and constant) and we only get one bill, which ranges from £45pm summer to £130pm winter. For us at least, it's much more economical. We're currently using about 4kw per day.
And if that doesn't send you all you sleep, I don't know what will! Lol
We have an ASHP too. It's pretty good, but it was a no-brainer here as we can't get mains gas. It's vastly better than the electric heaters we had before.
We have it all running, but at present we're not using the hot water at all. So it's a good test of just how much energy is wasted maintaining the temperature, it does crank away most days topping it up, especially when doing its sunday special weekly extra hot thing. I haven't measured it but it's definitely adding to the meter reading. And this is summer, when the air's cooler it will lose more heat.
Gas combi-boilers seem more sensible really. Just heat the water you use, when you use it.
Those do look like redundant cold water header tanks. The lids are stacked up on top, suggesting whoever touched it last didn't care about it working.
If it's a combi boiler then it may be fine. You could move it, or you could find a more considered route for the condensate pipe, perhaps internally boxed into a corner of a room. It wouldn't need the insulation indoors, so would be much smaller.
We have it all running, but at present we're not using the hot water at all. So it's a good test of just how much energy is wasted maintaining the temperature, it does crank away most days topping it up, especially when doing its sunday special weekly extra hot thing. I haven't measured it but it's definitely adding to the meter reading. And this is summer, when the air's cooler it will lose more heat.
Gas combi-boilers seem more sensible really. Just heat the water you use, when you use it.
Those do look like redundant cold water header tanks. The lids are stacked up on top, suggesting whoever touched it last didn't care about it working.
If it's a combi boiler then it may be fine. You could move it, or you could find a more considered route for the condensate pipe, perhaps internally boxed into a corner of a room. It wouldn't need the insulation indoors, so would be much smaller.
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