is all house movement subsidence? do i have a possible case?

annoyd

Just stripped all the walls of paper in my mid terraced portland stone built house, built in the 1970s. Ive had a plasterer in upstairs, there was cracks near the windows but he said it was natural for the age of the house, plus they are cheap timber single glazed so im not too suprised. But he pointed out a crack in the lounge that he said may be movement, It is a hairline crack, and runs from the floor to the ceiling, through the middle of a socket that is sunk into the wall, on a connecting wall to the other house. As upstairs is plastered now i cant recall wether it carried on into the bedroom, but i seem to think it did, but i didnt think anything of it at the time.

Is this a possible cause of subsidence? It is near enough in a straight line top to bottom.... and is all movement classed as subsidence? I know when building the house they didnt box in the water pipes, and just layed concrete ontop of them, this caused the pipes to crack eventually, and now everyone in my row has the mains water come up through the lounge and along the coving into the water tank instead of the people relaying the pipes properly under the property

withabix

You would need to post some pictures for anyone to comment properly, however:

The clue with the crack going from floor to ceiling through the middle of a socket would suggest that this is simply the route of least resistance for a shrinkage crack, following the dropper on your electricity circuit from cables in the ceiling down to the socket.

Their is probably a conduit or direct-buried cable there and the paster is therefore thinner than the rest.


Subsidence cracks tend to follow the brickwork/stonework joints and beds, except when there has been severe shear and the mortar is too strong, in which case the cracks may pass straight through bricks.

If it was subsidence, you would see a wide crack and obvious level differences.

annoyd

withabix wrote: »

You would need to post some pictures for anyone to comment properly, however:

The clue with the crack going from floor to ceiling through the middle of a socket would suggest that this is simply the route of least resistance for a shrinkage crack, following the dropper on your electricity circuit from cables in the ceiling down to the socket.

Their is probably a conduit or direct-buried cable there and the paster is therefore thinner than the rest.


Subsidence cracks tend to follow the brickwork/stonework joints and beds, except when there has been severe shear and the mortar is too strong, in which case the cracks may pass straight through bricks.

If it was subsidence, you would see a wide crack and obvious level differences.

cheers, how do i add pictures? ill try and get one tomorrow when its light

Gloomendoom

From an insurance point of view, the last thing you want is your house to blighted with subsidence. Your premium will be loaded and you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to change insurers.

teneighty

If it is a vertical crack it is likely to be a shrinkage crack, not subsidence.

Is the party wall built from concrete blocks or sand/lime bricks by any chance?

annoyd

teneighty wrote: »

If it is a vertical crack it is likely to be a shrinkage crack, not subsidence.

Is the party wall built from concrete blocks or sand/lime bricks by any chance?

pretty sure its concrete blocks yes... and just had another look at it, its actually two cracks, one from the floor through the socket about 1/4 up the wall... the other starts about 1/2 inch away from that one near enough were it finishes all the way up to the ceiling... it goes near enough vertical, but at the top it goes diagonal about 3 inches