Concerned about cracks in our house...

hairbrain05

Apologies in advance, I'm a bit clueless at how to deal with this. Over the last few months we have noticed cracks appearing in one side of our house. The house is a semi detached, built approx 35yrs ago.

The largest is around a window frame where the corner of a windowsill suddenly has a gap larger of about 2/3mm. There are cracks also in other areas both upstairs & downstairs, but all seem to be in the same side of the house.

Should we contact the insurance (Swinton) or get it assessed first independently?

The house was modified before we bought it (kitchen & dining room knocked into one room). Also there is a drain outside right beside the side of the house & I'm wondering if either of these are the reasons - or perhaps its simple movement....

Thanks

huckster

Don't register any claim until you know whether it is something you can claim for or not. The last thing you want is an Insurance claim for subsidence on your record, as that will be a pain in the *ss and will make future arrangements more difficult/expensive.

What you should do is first get a couple of experienced builders around to assess the situation and quote you for what they think is required. If there is any suggestion of subsidence then get a surveyor out to assess this further. For a structural survey you are looking at £500+.

Also worth having a survey of the drains done, to see if there is a leakage. This may be the cause.

Under Buildings Insurances, you have an excess of £1000+ anyway, so you will have some expense of looking into this.

Are the cracks on the outside walls or just interior ? When was the house built ? Many modern houses, due to the construction with plasterboard used, will have interior cracks near the joins, which is why I think they use the joining tape. You may just have to repair these. If the cracks are on the outside of the house, it is more worrying.

Dangermac

huckster wrote: »

Don't register any claim until you know whether it is something you can claim for or not. The last thing you want is an Insurance claim for subsidence on your record, as that will be a pain in the *ss and will make future arrangements more difficult/expensive.

What you should do is first get a couple of experienced builders around to assess the situation and quote you for what they think is required. If there is any suggestion of subsidence then get a surveyor out to assess this further. For a structural survey you are looking at £500+.

Also worth having a survey of the drains done, to see if there is a leakage. This may be the cause.

Under Buildings Insurances, you have an excess of £1000+ anyway, so you will have some expense of looking into this.

Are the cracks on the outside walls or just interior ? When was the house built ? Many modern houses, due to the construction with plasterboard used, will have interior cracks near the joins, which is why I think they use the joining tape. You may just have to repair these. If the cracks are on the outside of the house, it is more worrying.

This is really good advice. Definately the best way to proceed. I would recommend that the OP follows this.

DM

hairbrain05

Thanks very much for the sound advice.

The house was built in approx 1975, it's a semi detached & all the cracks are interior - but they've definitely all sprung up within the last few months, some very recently, am concerned if we ignore them it will be worse.

Could really do without the expense right now with newborn baby, but c'est la vie i guess......

huckster

hairbrain05 wrote: »

Thanks very much for the sound advice.

The house was built in approx 1975, it's a semi detached & all the cracks are interior - but they've definitely all sprung up within the last few months, some very recently, am concerned if we ignore them it will be worse.

Could really do without the expense right now with newborn baby, but c'est la vie i guess......

I have some cracks as well internally. Most modern houses do on the inside. It is down to the cr*ppy way most houses are built. You have had cracks over the last few months, because it has become warmer and there has been expansion of materials. Just take off the surface of the plaster and apply some filler plaster that says it does not shrink or expland. Let it dry and paint or wallpaper over.

I would be more worried about cracks on the outside of the house. Have a good look around the outside of the house to see if you can see any cracks or signs of movement.

You could take a few pictures, add to photobucket and then post to a DIY/Builders forum. Screwfix have a forum, which can be good to get answers from.

mikey72

I'd get the drain checked first. It's been very wet recently.

hairbrain05

huckster - awesome idea, thanks! i shall do just that.... there's defo no crack on the side/rear of the house although there is one at the front in the harling which was apparently treated before we moved in.

my husband thinks i'm panicking.... & maybe i am but i don't want to ignore it if it needs dealt with...

huckster

hairbrain05 wrote: »

huckster - awesome idea, thanks! i shall do just that.... there's defo no crack on the side/rear of the house although there is one at the front in the harling which was apparently treated before we moved in.

my husband thinks i'm panicking.... & maybe i am but i don't want to ignore it if it needs dealt with...

The cracks that you mention appear normal, but without seeing them, difficult to judge. I don't think I have seen a house with no cracks. Materials do contract and expand with temperature changes, so small cracks are very likely to happen.

If you look online there are many helpful pages on subsidence from which you will see pictures of the cracks.

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/build-renovate/advice/how-to-spot-and-deal-with-cracks-08-05-28

hairbrain05

any recommendations on whether we should contact the insurance company? am so unsure how to proceed.

we obviously don't want to cost of a structural survey if we don't need it. should we contact the insurance to see what they think first? or look for a decent builder to look initially? or just get on with it & contact the surveyors?

Quentin

See post#2.

hairbrain05

when huckster says don't register a claim - is that the same as dont contact them at all until our own investigations done?

sorry i know i'm being dense but i'm sure the cracks are widening & I dreamt the house fell down whilst we were in it!!!