How to repair a 1m crack above window

[maileman28]

Hi,

That time of year again where I am thinking about doing some odds and sods around the house.

When we moved into our current house (5 years ago) there was a small crach above the window in our main bedroom. This crack was approx 20cm in length and was 2mm at the widest part. Over time this crack is now approx 1m in length and 5mm at the widest part.

How on earth do you repair something like this? Is it possible that a relative amatuer can do something like this? Or will removing the lot and replastering be needed?

I have put on a couple of pics if it helps!?

Thanks

Chris M

Untitled

• maileman28
• 9 Feb 2014
• 1

Untitled

• maileman28
• 9 Feb 2014
• 1

 

[Alastairreid]

Looks like it is all loose! not a big job to sort out if you have some plastering skill.

Couple hrs work to a spread...

 

[maileman28]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I have no plastering skill unfortunatley. Would I need to remove the lot? Or can the existing be repaired. Excuse me if the question is ignorant, I work with computers and this a new world to me!

Thanks

 

[Alastairreid]

It looks like the plaster has come away from the lintel , if it sounds hollow it will need to come off.

 

[roughcaster]

I agree with Alastair, it'll need to be taken off. I'd remove "all" the plaster on the lintel, (the underside and the face) all of it. Once the plaster has been removed, i'd give the lintel a clean off/damp down, then bed on an angle bead along the front edge of the lintel with 3 or 4 dabs of multi finish, then let it set. Once the dabs have set, give the lintel a damp down again, brush on a coat of pva, then re- plaster the whole thing out flush with Bonding Coat plaster on the front of the lintel and under the soffit. Let it all set up, then finish it off with with multi finish.
Make sure when you set the angle bead along the front edge of the lintell, you keep it at the same depth as the plaster is now, so as not to bury the white window trim on the underside of the soffit.

 

[NickB_99]

How on earth do you repair something like this? Is it possible that a relative amatuer can do something like this? Or will removing the lot and replastering be needed?

I would suggest not to be tempted to stick polyfilla in there and repaint.
As roughcaster and Alastair - you need it repairing properly.

 

[maileman28]

Excellent. Thanks all. I will get hold of someone who knows what they are doing!

 

[ree]

Is the PVC window frame an original or a replacement?

When you have exposed whatever lies behind the crack, why not post a photo of your findings?

Older houses sometimes had a wood lintel.

Be cautious about removing any angle bead or you may end up disturbing the wall surfaces at either end of the angle bead.

The ceiling seems to have a shadow, or is it coving that i'm looking at?

 

[roughcaster]

I don't think there will be a bead along the edge of that soffit, Ree, in fact i'm certain, because you can see there isn't. I would also say that in my opinion, the lintel would be concrete, and because there were no bonding agents and no bonding plasters years ago, the thickness of plaster, sheer weight, and lack of key on the old lintel, would have caused the plaster to drop away and split. That, plus the fact the plaster would have probably been sand based..
I would remove "all" the old plaster on the lintel, all the way across, to where it meets the brick/blockwork at either end, that way, you can be certain that all the loose/blown plaster has been removed. I would then repair it with a galvanised beading the way i suggested earlier.

 

[ree]

Roughcaster,

Thanks for both your posts. I'm sure that you are far more experienced than me in these kind of repairs. I never once thought concrete. What you say sounds spot on.

For what its worth, what would you say to running a skim bead (instead of an angle bead) across to allow a little room to play with?

 

[roughcaster]

Nowadays, thick coat angle beads are invaluable, especially for jobs such as this one. I appreciate what you're saying Ree, but with a job like this one, where a thick coat of plaster, (float coat) needs to be replaced like for like, thin coat skim beads would not work. It is much easier using big angle beads bedded on, and that's what they're made for.
Thin coat beads (skim beads) are great for using on plasterboard, and even on solid brick or block walls that have already been plastered in the past and need a freshen up, but would not be suitable at all for jobs like this particular one.
The only way a skim bead could be used in this particular situation would be if all the plaster was removed from the lintel area, and pieces of plasterboard were to be stuck onto the lintel face and soffit to bulk it out, then a thin coat bead could be used along the soffit corner/angle.
Not a good way to go though really, cheap and nasty in my opinion. You can't beat repairing plaster like for like, or todays modern equivalent.
This particular job, and others like it, "done properly", would give an invisible repair, would take very little time to do, and would be permanent, you can't get better than that.

I also forgot to say that i've not come across many wooden lintels, although i have seen them on some older properties. Most lintels that i've seen over the years have been made of concrete or stone.