Settling Cracks on an old end of terrace house HELP!

dawn_roses

Hi this is my first post so i hope this is okay.

I am looking at buying a house at the top of the street i currently live in. The house itself is in need of a lot of work i.e. double glazing, plastering, decorating, new kitchen etc. Also because the house is at the top of the street the main wall of the building is like \ so a couple of the rooms are a funny shape.

However it has been sold once and it fell through due to the survey mentioning cracks which could be subsidence. The seller has had a structural engineer rin and he says it is only settling cracks.

There is a hairline crack in the downstairs window cill and one in the cill above the front door. There is a large crack in the living room which is like a step pattern along the bricks i.e. the mortar (I have only seen this crack as the plaster was removed from this section of the wall).

Does anyone know how common settling cracks are in older buildings and will they turn into something else later on. My plan was to buy it, rennovate it, rent it for a few years and then sell it on.

Any help would be appreciated.

Many Thanks

1984ReturnsForReal_2

settlement normally happens in the first few months/years of a building.

if these are new cracks its unlikely to be settlement.

poppysarah

The seller's survey is info only for them - although you may see it the surveyor has no liability to you if you bought the house. (I think that's how it works)

Settling cracks would be old if it's an old house.
Have they recently appeared - or are they old?

Radsteral

you should check yourself and take a bit of time outside... if you see cracks outside and specially if you see cracks outside and the outside is a brick wall then these cracks are structural..... not as they cant be fixed but simply , more severe and more costy.

if they only inside, the good news is that they likely to be by blown plaster..
old plaster used to be with lime and therefore more flexible.. new plaster or render, arent flexible and would crack easily if the preparation work wasnt done ie, cleaning, unibont etc.

also if its sand and cement the inside, if somehow the plasterer used a lot of cement , that will defenitely crack and make the walls look like too problematic.
cracks on top of doors or windows are very comon though can be sorted.. i wouldnt worry of them, since you wil decorate anyway.
ask the plasterer to chop the cracked area and put wire mesh or better g-tex mesh or webber mesh as they known.

ps ; im not a mortgage adviser i m a plasterer so dont ask me for anything else

clutton_2

is your street near an old coalfield or mine ?

poppysarah

If they are new then look for extra heavy traffic in the area - has there been a building site? One street near me has had really bad cracking from lorries going to the building site next door.

dawn_roses

I don't know how long the cracks have been there but to be honest they don't look new.

I don't believe there was ever a coalfield or mine in the area.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

dawn_roses wrote: »

I don't know how long the cracks have been there but to be honest they don't look new.

I don't believe there was ever a coalfield or mine in the area.

Doesnt have to be a coalfield or mine.

Could just be the type of soil, water, a tree, bad build, bad repair or next doors house causing a problem (if there is a problem).

Ladybird20

as i have recently had structural problems with my house the problems with your house do sound similar to mine.cracks over doors and lintils(sp) and aslo cracks following the pattern of the breeze blocks,,i would get your own structural engineer in to check....

dawn_roses

If u don't mind measking what was the problem with yours and what did you have to do?

rheme

Satisfy yourself that it is not subsidence before you buy it. Have your own structural survey done.

I had subsidence damage (caused by trees). We had to move out for six months while the house was piled inside and out, replastered, redecorated, etc.

Yeah you move back into a newly decorated house (assuming every room is affected) as mine was. Believe me the work you have to do with the insurance company, loss adjusters, structural engineers, builders, etc. is enormous. All this in addition to working full time and running a home. Don't recommend you put yourself through it.

Find out if it is subsidence and if it is, find something else to buy.