Subsidence cracks getting longer by the day

[yjones]

Hi

I have cob walls. I have cracking in the gypsum plaster (yes I know, builders used the wrong plaster). The plastering was done 7 years ago. Cracks started to appear perhaps last year or year before, but didnt go any further. But over the past months theyre getting longer almost every day. Lots of cracks splitting off from each other.



The cracks are appearing in the top bedroom walls which are party walls. Neighbour property has similar cracks. Theirs has been there for many years, so is probably historic subsidence, unless its started to become active again(?)

There some cracking by the stairs which is in the centre of the house.

The house is 150 years old on shallow foundations on clay soil.

What should I do? Contact a structural engineer and request an urgent inspection?

 

[stevie888]

Those are very minor cracks.

A house on clay and shallow founds is going to move in 150 years and you''ve got a fairly rigid top coat on a flexible wall. I'd not be worrying myself.

You get some SEs and you'll be told you need to underpin and all sorts as they'll be in full on CYA mode.

 

[yjones]

Thanks. Im thinking of putting a claim in with insurance company and telling them about the cracks. They are getting bigger each day

 

[stevie888]

I wouldn't rush to thar personally as you then start a paper trail of "subsidence" issues which could easily bite you in the bum when you come to sell. ((Or the kids sell to piut you in a home as my offspring frequently remind me.)

What are you actually going to claim?

We had subsidence issues back in '76 courtesy of an oak (which eventually came 2nd in a head to head with Mr Stihl). The loss adjuster reckoned thaty proper cracks were the ones you could get a hand in to measure. I seem to recall our biggest were maybe 4mm and showed a clear pattern of 1/3 of the pair of semis sinking, 1/3 staying put and the middle 1/3 rotating to suit.

With the tree's influence gone (initially by digging a trench to cut the roots) they closed up fairly quickly and no structural work was required, As an aside we had a visit early in the day from a specialist firm of underpinners recommended by the insurers. They would have pinned the section that wasn't moving without the other half which would have made matters worse not better

 

[nero44]

Thanks. Im thinking of putting a claim in with insurance company and telling them about the cracks. They are getting bigger each day

Can only echo what @stevie888 says. I would definitely not put an insurance claim in unless you are expecting damage running into 5-10k. Those cracks look very minor and could definitely be a result of the dry summer we had. People all over the country have noticed cracks appear especially this year (it was on the news). Same for my house. I have some major renovation works coming up though, so won't spend any money now fixing it.

A subsidence case is like a tattoo that stays with your house forever! I believe this is only the case for subsidence. My house had a subsidence case from an overgrown tree on the neighbor's garden. This was 18 years ago. It was fixed at the time and no new cracks appeared at the same spot. The house has however been subject to a subsidence premium on house insurance for all that time! few hundred quid more per year for 18 years... And yes if you ever have to sell, you are obliged to report it.