Cracks in plaster & walls

Thea

Suggestions please.

We had our kitchen replasted in November last year and this morning ive noticed 5 hair line long cracks in one of the walls. Four of them are just above the radiator on that wall and one near the ceiling. Now this is the main dividing wall of the house. Its a two room wide house i.e living room at front and kitchen at back, then an upstairs. There are cracks upstairs in the space between the 2 bedrooms and bathroom and also in the back room.

We live on a hill and the house is quite old. I suspect the cracks upstairs are due to the traffic since when the bus goes up the hill and has to stop outside in traffic you can feel the house vibrating. Im asking for advise as to who to contact. Do i call the kitchen plasterer for the kitchen wall? And for the other cracks do i need a builder or a surveyor- those people who survey the house before you buy it? Is this a major problem or a common complaint due to old age?

All ideas welcome

antilles

The cracks above the radiator are probably just due to the expansion of the plaster from the heat of the radiator. We had nearly our entire house replastered and we saw a few hairline cracks near the rads. I just filled em and repainted and they've been fine since.

As for the others they don't sound too serious, I had a friend who had a speedbump installed outside her house and the plaster started cracking due to lorries hitting the bump and causing vibrations. If the cracks get larger or are very noticable a builder should be able to check them out.

House_Hunter

Totally agree - hairline cracks are nothign to worry about. Very common (especially in older houses) that have been replastered.

They are casued by changes in mositure and temperature levels.

As suggested, fill with a filler and then paint over....no problemo.

stuzhunter

just chisel the cracks then repair with a plaster repair material & then repaint.

27col

All our rads have had cracks develop above and behind them. Just filled them and redecorated.

Thea

Thanks for the replies guys. Think i'll get a builder to look at the cracks. Glad to hear i didnt hire a dodgy plaster.

Debt_Free_Chick

Thea wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys. Think i'll get a builder to look at the cracks. Glad to hear i didnt hire a dodgy plaster.

Just to confirm what others have said ... these seem to be (from what you've described here) to be "drying out" cracks.

I had an extension built three years ago and have "cracks to go!" so I think I can understand where you are

27col

Why on earth would you want to get a builder to fill a hair line crack?

House_Hunter

Totally agree....no need for builder AT ALL!!!

Mix up a good sloppy mix of something like polyfiller smear it over the crack....allow it to dry and bit and then wipe with a damp cloth.

Done and dusted.

Thea

No no you miss understood. Im going to call the builder in for the cracks in the space upstairs. The ones in the back bedroom i would describe as hairline, but the other ones are slightly bigger- they having being there for years though. Just want someone to look and hopefully reassure us its nothing major.

Im all for DIY!

bryanb

I wouldn't bother a builder if the cracks are only in plaster and have been there years. So long as they are stable, and not in the brickwork.
Although I see your title says Plaster and walls?