What to do about these cracks

[platforminc]

Hi All,

I have just had a fairly big extension mainly on the first floor, works finished end of April 2018. However I am finding cracks almost week in the house, its got me angry and thinking what do I do now. The house is painted white, so I also how to figure out how to paint it back again and blend it, as I really do not want to paint the entire room/area (whole ceiling for example)


I have attached the pictures here, please advise.

This is the bathroom ceiling and tiles. (Timber frame, 12mm hardie backer board before tiling)

Ground floor living room ceiling, this part of the house is brick, original house, just skimmed and decorated.

Same living room area, this corner of the wall has a small airline crack running along the entire length, do you paint over, fill with caulk + paint, or break out and fill with filler then paint ?

Bathroom, new extension. Timber frame, partitioned with 12mm cement board before tiling. Luckily I still have some grouting left, do I just mix up and how does one fill the corners ?

Sky lantern, 1m x 1m and its been cracking by the edges all the time. This is the second time. When it was first done no issues, it started months after.

 

[aspley]

Hi P, firstly if you used a good paint you should be able to apply a patch coat to the effected area and it should blend in without being noticeable.

As for the cracks, you will always likely get some on a new build as the wood inside the boards dries and shrinks. Best way to deal with them is to make them slightly bigger and deeper by drawing a screw tip down the line of the crack, this gives a filler something to grab onto.
Best filler in my experience is some car body epoxy resin filler....it is much stronger than something like poly filler.

 

[opps]

Given that the work was only done this year, the cracks may be dynamic, by that I mean that the house may still be settling. I would use this

http://www.toupret.co.uk/business-customers/products/specialist-solutions/fibacryl-FIBACP01G.html

to fill the cracks, removing any loose plaster as you go. Fibacryl will shrink back a lot so leave it flush. It will work better if you open up the cracks. The next day apply Toupret RedLite over the top and then sand that back. Fibacryl is pretty much a caulk that has tiny fibres to accommodate movement. I tend to use the gun version rather than the tub version.

The tiles- rake out the loose grout. Re grout and then use a Mappi silicone that matches the grout colour.

I understand your frustrations but when you add bits to your house you should expect other parts of the house to move differentally as the whole building "comes to a rest".

I would be inclined to suggest that, if you can live with the cracks, to wait until next summer. Fibacryl is a great product but not a magic bullet. It will tolerate a given level of movement but if the building is still settling then it may fail.

 

[platforminc]

Thanks very much for your reply, very much appreciated.

I see that toolstation sell the product, this is fantastic. I do have a couple of questions.

• Should this product have been used during decoration, or would it not make any different as settlement is guaranteed in such a build ?
• How can I rake out the grout, and should it be done from top to bottom especially the corners ? Is an angle grinder needed here ?
• If I want to dispose off the house, is it sensible to fill the cracks or leave it for the next buyer ?

I feel the bathroom maipei mastic should be applied ASAP due to the nature of the location and water/moisture ingress behind the walls. Its just whether to fill current openings now or hack out the grouting from bottom to ceiling and do it properly.

Thanks in advance.

 

[opps]

Should this product have been used during decoration, or would it not make any different as settlement is guaranteed in such a build ?

They couldn't have used it before, as there were no cracks.

How can I rake out the grout, and should it be done from top to bottom especially the corners ? Is an angle grinder needed here ?

Most of it seems to have fallen out. I use a chisel to remove as much as possible but you can buy cheap grout rakes from toolstation

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Pa.../Tiling+Tools/sd3286/Vitrex+Grout+Rake/p36471

You don't have to remove all of the grout, you just need to make sure that the new grout can penetrate at least 3 or 4mm. If you thinly grout over grout it invariably falls off.

If I want to dispose off the house, is it sensible to fill the cracks or leave it for the next buyer ?

Cracks tend to worry prospective buyers. They often assume the worse or use it as a bargaining chip to drive the price down.

Ifeel the bathroom maipei mastic should be applied ASAP due to the nature of the location and water/moisture ingress behind the walls. Its just whether to fill current openings now or hack out the grouting from bottom to ceiling and do it properly.

If the cracks are within the shower splash area, they should have been siliconed in the first place. BTW, you may need to order the correct colour online. The range is pretty comprehensive and not all suppliers will hold the whole range in stock. Oh, and thank you for correcting my spelling mistake so graciously

Personally, I prefer to regrout, and then silicone, the primary reason being that it is easier to apply a clean bead to a uniform surface rather than having to slow the gun to wait until it fills the deeper voids.

 

[platforminc]

I am confused now, is it just a case of applying maipei mastic and that's it, job done or
Apply maipei mastic, then apply grout on top of it ?

Also, I have a multi cutter tool, do you think this will remove the old grout easily so one can do a good job ?

They couldn't have used it before, as there were no cracks.



Most of it seems to have fallen out. I use a chisel to remove as much as possible but you can buy cheap grout rakes from toolstation

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Painting+&+Decorating/d150/Tiling+Tools/sd3286/Vitrex+Grout+Rake/p36471

You don't have to remove all of the grout, you just need to make sure that the new grout can penetrate at least 3 or 4mm. If you thinly grout over grout it invariably falls off.



Cracks tend to worry prospective buyers. They often assume the worse or use it as a bargaining chip to drive the price down.




If the cracks are within the shower splash area, they should have been siliconed in the first place. BTW, you may need to order the correct colour online. The range is pretty comprehensive and not all suppliers will hold the whole range in stock. Oh, and thank you for correcting my spelling mistake so graciously

Personally, I prefer to regrout, and then silicone, the primary reason being that it is easier to apply a clean bead to a uniform surface rather than having to slow the gun to wait until it fills the deeper voids.

 

[opps]

I am confused now, is it just a case of applying maipei mastic and that's it, job done or
Apply maipei mastic, then apply grout on top of it ?

Also, I have a multi cutter tool, do you think this will remove the old grout easily so one can do a good job ?

You need to remove the grout first, and then either re-grout and re-silicone or re-silicone (leaving the remaining grout in place).

You cannot apply grout over silicone, it wont adhere to silicone.

A multitool attachment will work but given that you are working in a corner, you risk damaging the tile face on the adjacent tiles.

 

[platforminc]

Sorry to be a pain but i just didnt unstand your last statement. I dont want to apply grout alone as it will crack again. Reading what you said, it sounds contradictory.

Please explain step by step now that i have said grout alone wouldnt work. Thanks

 

[pilsbury]

Just my 2 penny’s worth. The corner of the tiles needs silicone, not grout. You won’t have to take out the grout. Best and neatest way I’ve found to apply silicone in corners is to use tape either side of the corner, approx 5mm either side. Masking tape is fine, but I like electrical tape. Then run a bead of silicone in the corner. Immediately run a wet finger down smoothing it out. Then immediately take off the tape and run a clean wet finger lightly over again. Voila. A nice neat joint.

As for the skylight bead, exactly the same thing has happened to me. Probably 2 months after plastering and painting. I fixed my beads firmly. I recon with the hot weather and sun shining through the glass roof light, it’s caused the beads to expand and pop. I was going to try and use decorators caulk however I might give the fibacryl a go.

The rest of the cracks just look like shrinkage. One of those things. I’d wait a few months then get busy with some filler, sandpaper and paint. All in a oner.

 

[opps]

Sorry to be a pain but i just didnt unstand your last statement. I dont want to apply grout alone as it will crack again. Reading what you said, it sounds contradictory.

Please explain step by step now that i have said grout alone wouldnt work. Thanks

You have a valid point about the grout potentially cracking again. If it is the result of settling, and assuming that the house has finished settling, I was working on the assumption that it won't crack again.

Even if a slight corner tile to tile crack reappears, I would expect the silicone, which has been applied over the new grout, to keep the grout in place.

The only reason that I am recommending the new grout is that it makes it easier to apply the silicone.

 

[FrodoOne]

Immediately run a wet finger down smoothing it out. Then immediately take off the tape and run a clean wet finger lightly over again. Voila. A nice neat joint.

Make sure that you wet the "finger" or any tool used with only clean water containing a few drops of "dish washing liquid".
(Any "biological contamination" may encourage the future growth of mold.