Small cracks after RSJ

milkydrink

We had an RSJ fitted where a supporting wall was removed.
We did everything properly, sought building regs permission, had it inspected before plastering & a certificate issued after.
The builder built brick (heavy grey bricks) pillars off the footings & stuffed bits of slate in between the RSJ & the pillars (to minimise any drop). We had plans & calcs done by a local archetic.
There are a few cracks, some appeared shortly after & some are still appearing/growing. My husband tells me not to worry they are just settlement cacks because its an old (1950's) house & tht it is only to be expected.
The cracks are not big & when the rooms are decorated for a second they could be filled with filler, though we will probably get them plastered as the three rooms with cracks have woodchip or artex:(
Should I worry about these cracks or are they normal?
Thanks
Kim

leehal

I would just keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get any larger.

We had a crack plastered when we had our living room skimmed, the crack reappeared, doesn't particularly concern me, just a little unsightly.

milkydrink

Has anyone else got any thoughts on this.

They are small, but seem to be some in nearly every room upstairs. They are small enough to fill next time we decorate. But as I said, upstirs really needs replastering sometime in the future (artex woodchip ect:eek:)

Thanks

ginger_nuts

how deep are they ,can you post a pic

ormus

all house will have settlement cracks.
some are worse than others depending on the soil/clay etc underneath the house and the time of the year/climate etc.
most are not really a problem. just a bit unsightly.

you can fill and paint every yr in some houses. itll make no difference, as the seasons change the house will move again by a few mm.

you also have the problem of differing expansion/contraction rates of materials. bricks, plaster, and wood etc...are not the same.

greyteam1959

If you have paid professionals for plans / specs / etc and you are at all worried get them back out.
You have paid good money for their services so use them to the full.
You will not be charged and you will have peace of mind.
It will not do your case any good if you have a claim against them 4 or 5 years down the line when you have not brought things to their attention sooner

milkydrink

There is bad feeling with the builder.

He gave us a WRITTEN quote for £2,000 (to remove wall & put in RSJ & make good). He then said after he'd pulled wall down that price would be more (£1,000 more) as he said he would need to get metal supports made to act as pillars to RSJ & dig big holes & fill with re-enfored concrete to act as foundations. We said OK.
He then decided to use bricks as pillars (instead of getting posts made) & found footings to build off, but still wanted extra £1,000:eek: .
We ended up giving him an extra £700 & he refused to give us a reciept:mad: .
So a bit arkward really.
To make it worse he is my daughters friends brother.

My husband is happy they are settlement, I'm just looking for someone to confirm this is natural.

greyteam1959

Are you saying he found old footings to build new pillars on for a supporting wall ?????
The mans a fool.No wonder you have got 'settlement' cracks!!!
It would have taken about 2 hours longer to put in proper concrete footing and the job would have been done right first time.
Personally I would get the 'experts' in because it ounds to me like you could be heading for problems.
It will be cheaper to sort the now rather than in 5 years time when the friend of a friends brothers has gone out of business

milkydrink

He made big holes in the (concrete) floor & said there were foundations or footings (or something) like that down there & he built off them, from about 2 foot or less down. The building regs man inspected & oked it after. He also used slate at the top of the pillars to minimise the small gap at the top.