New homes settlement cracks

naijapower

Can anyone advise or comment on this. (I hope this is correct section for this thread)
We noticed the usual settlement cracks in our new home. When we complained, we were told both verbally and in writing that ALL settlement cracks would be fixed at the final snagging stage - 2yrs.
We are now at that stage but builder has not retracted stating not all would be fixed. Only the major cracks wider than a pound coin would be attended to.
Where do we stand on this. I have the letter from them confirming all cracks would be dealt with. Can they not be bound by this? I dont want to rush to NHBC cos they would take side with builder as usual.
Builder is acting funny cos i have given them a tough time since we bought this property. They have actually repaired all cracks for other neighbours. Does this not amount to discrimination?

hog_hill

Hi naijapower, I dont know your legal rights, but my builder told me they would not fix any cracks unless they were structural problems. There was 1 I was worried about but they did that test with the £1 coin too (and left a nice pound coin dent in the crack). I think you could have bother getting them to fix settlement cracks, but keep pushing and you never know - if they are still doing work around your site they may send someone to do it to get you off their back!!

Doozergirl

They will be a combination of plaster shrinkage and settlement cracks. If they tell you that settlement cracks will be sorted out, that isn't going to include plaster shrinkage. What is settlement and what is plaster shrinkage is going to be pretty subjective.

Honestly, rather than fight with people I'd purchase a caulking gun and sort it out myself.
New builds are not perfect, they have to have time to settle down. I'd pursue the big stuff but a tube of caulking costs less than a fiver and it gets sorted on my time without me having a hernia. Chasing up the developers probably costs more than a fiver of your time and effort. Don't sweat the small stuff.

QTPie

Doozergirl wrote: »

They will be a combination of plaster shrinkage and settlement cracks.

Honestly, rather than fight with people I'd purchase a caulking gun and sort it out myself.

New builds are not perfect, they have to have time to settle down. I'd pursue the big stuff but a tube of caulking costs less than a fiver and it gets sorted on my time.

Are current house is a new build and we found that getting the builder (Crest Nicholson) to sort things out after completion was very tough - especially the further away from completion that we got...

Fortunately we have had very little in the way of settlement cracks, but may have been lucky.

Have a go and getting them to sort it out, but they will try to wriggle out of as much as possible... and, as Doozergirl says, you will probably end up sprting it out yourself...

QT

Jonbvn

I very much doubt that what you are seeing is settlement cracks. They are most likely drying shrinkage cracks. As DG suggests, much less stress to caulk these cracks yourself.

BTW, settlement cracks would mean your house is undergoing subsidence. This would be a very serious problem. If you are concerned about subsidence, I suggest you google for it, or maybe have a look on the RICS wesbite.

Doozergirl

Jonbvn wrote: »

I very much doubt that what you are seeing is settlement cracks. They are most likely drying shrinkage cracks. As DG suggests, much less stress to caulk these cracks yourself.

BTW, settlement cracks would mean your house is undergoing subsidence. This would be a very serious problem. If you are concerned about subsidence, I suggest you google for it, or maybe have a look on the RICS wesbite.

Settlement and subsidence are two different things, no? A house can settle on to it's foundations and all houses move over time but that would be regarded as settlement. Subsidence is if the house has a proper continuing structural fault due to it's construction or significant ground movement beneath.

If you googled subsidence, you'd get a different result to googling settlement, surely.

naijapower

Thanks for all your response. I have just re-read the letter from my builder sent a year ago and it states ' i can confirm that all shrinkage cracks would be fixed when you submit your 2 year final snagging list'

It says 'ALL shrinkage cracks'. This is my arguement. Even if i chose to do it myself it could take well over 2 days and it wont be as smooth. Moreover, i dont think it is fair for them to say this and then suddenly change their mind especially as they offered some other neighbour a full service of restoring all shrinkage include hair line type

Jonbvn

Doozergirl wrote: »

Settlement and subsidence are two different things, no? A house can settle on to it's foundations and all houses move over time but that would be regarded as settlement. Subsidence is if the house has a proper continuing structural fault due to it's construction or significant ground movement beneath.

If you googled subsidence, you'd get a different result to googling settlement, surely.

Subsidence can be considered as excessive and/or differential settlement. On new houses, I would be very surprised to see cracks in finishes due to foundation settlement.

hog_hill

Have you faxed / copied that letter back to the builder? What is he saying? If he has put it in writing that he will do that work then I would keep at him until he does it - but i suppose it depends how much hassel you want. Is the house painted? you will need to repaint over the cracks and maybe he whole wall if it doesnt look right.

hethmar

My house is about 80 years old - it had settlement cracks over a bedroom bay window which the surveyor - 20 years ago commented on as "settlement cracks of some age". The cracks still there, we paint over it now and then