Neighbour says we have cracked her ceilings?

callmechar

We live in a 3 bed ex council house, we are end terrace. Our neighbour (an elderly woman) lives in the house attached to ours and is a Housing Association tenant. We have lived here 2 years and done up the house, nothing major. The house was built in the 60s. When we have been doing up the house we have found some cracks in the ceilings in the hallways, landing and bedrooms.

The neighbour has just been round and said the works we have done in our house have caused cracks in her ceilings in the bedroom (her bedroom) and her lounge. I do not know how this is possible. Where do we stand on this? How could we have damaged her ceilings? One of her family members said it was from vibrations from the work we have done, but what could we have done differently to not cause vibrations?

sophieschoice

Interesting. I have hairline cracks in my ceilings and walls too. I think I'll pop round to my next door elderly widow and blame her!
Ignore them, they're talking absolute rubbish.

cattie

Have to agree, it certainly sounds a load of old rubbish. Houses are built to withstand more than just a few vibrations from neighbouring properties & all properties will suffer some cracks over the years. A lot of cracks occur due to settlement or shrinkage of the building materials, very few are actually caused by people.

If she bothers you any more, tell her to complain to the HA about her cracked ceilings, as it is not anything to do with you. Silly old fool.

callmechar

Thanks. I did tell her to speak to the housing association. I do not see what she wants us to do about it? She has done nothing but moan since we moved in about us, making too much noise etc. We try to be as considerate as possible but there is some drilling etc

jcb208

Very little chance you would of cracked her ceilings ,all the joists will be independent of yours

callmechar

Thanks. Feel a bit better now, cannot see how we can cause her ceiling cracks. We have cracks in the ceilings - we have resolved them by screwing up the plasterboard and filling in the cracks. It is an old house. This happens I am sure.

Dan-Dan

Dont some run`s of terraced and subsequenty the end terraces share the same joists ?

stebiz

I'd tell her that an old busy body living next to you affects your house value and to stump up too.

callmechar

stebiz wrote: »

I'd tell her that an old busy body living next to you affects your house value and to stump up too.

Hahahaha!!! May try that one!

I do not think the joists run into her house.

jcb208

callmechar wrote: »

Hahahaha!!! May try that one!

I do not think the joists run into her house.

No they wont top floor will usually be trusses which will run front to back and end at the party wall , depending on house design the 1 st floor joists usually run the shortest span to avoid flexing

callmechar

My husband says the joists run side to side on the first floor (eg above the living room and below the bedroom).

The roof joists run front to back.