Internal Wall Cracks

[tonyhg395]

Hello - I have some cracks in an internal bedroom wall, on both sides of the wall. (inside the room and in the hallway outside). They seem to be opposite each other. The previous owner of the bungalow converted the loft into an additional living space.
Could anyone advise what could be the cause of this? The crack is approx. 3.5mm at it's widest point and seems quite deep.
Any advice gratefully appreciated.
Kind regards,
Tony

 

[Koolpc]

I would say the work above caused it. May not be serious at all....if in doubt get an SE in....

 

[davidparker]

Hey Tony, sounds like it could be movement in the structure, possibly due to the loft conversion. If the wall is load-bearing, the added weight from the conversion might have caused some settling or stress cracks. Another possibility is thermal expansion/contraction or slight foundation shifts. Since the cracks are on both sides, it might indicate some flexing in the wall itself. I’d keep an eye on whether the cracks grow over time. If they do, or if doors/windows nearby start sticking, it might be worth getting a structural engineer to take a look. Hope that helps!

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

The first one at least has been previously filled and painted over. So there was a cover-up effort, probably before you bought.

Some less zoomed in photos would be useful - I'm wondering if the lintel over the door has been overloaded, perhaps by putting a floor joist on top of a lintel that was only ever intended to hold up 6 courses of bricks and nothing else.

A bungalow loft conversion is a massive red flag. I'd say get someone qualified to look over the entire thing, as you probably should have done before buying. See what's what and take it from there.

You might just need a new lintel over that one door - an annoyance but hardly the end of the world. But you won't know until you find out!

IMO Banks should demand a full structural report on all loft conversions especially where there isn't a building control certificate, as there are many issues with them.