Cracks appearing around windows - please help!

leannejj

Hi, I've never posted here before but was hoping someone would be able to advise me.

We bought and moved into our house around 4 months ago. On Sunday, we noticed that a crack had appeared above our bedroom window, roughly vertical stretching from the top corner of the window to almost the ceiling.

The following day, we noticed two of the same cracks appeared above the living room window, albeit much finer and harder to see (but definitely starting to appear).

Does this sound like a problem with the windows and the way in which they were fitted? Or perhaps something else (and equally as worrying)? Our understanding is that the windows aren't particularly old, they look (on the surface to my untrained eye) to be in good condition and are not draughty. They are uPVC and one of the windows in question is a bay. The house is mid-terrace and built around 1970.

Cracks start to appear and you just imagine ££££!!

Thanks in advance

SailorSam

I don't think there's any need to worry, it's not uncommon to get hairline cracks in plaster. It's as the plaster dries out, maybe it wasn't put on very well. to thick a layer or had already started to set before it was applied. It's easy to patch up with a bit of filler.

cyclonebri1

leannejj wrote: »

Hi, I've never posted here before but was hoping someone would be able to advise me.

We bought and moved into our house around 4 months ago. On Sunday, we noticed that a crack had appeared above our bedroom window, roughly vertical stretching from the top corner of the window to almost the ceiling.

The following day, we noticed two of the same cracks appeared above the living room window, albeit much finer and harder to see (but definitely starting to appear).

Does this sound like a problem with the windows and the way in which they were fitted? Or perhaps something else (and equally as worrying)? Our understanding is that the windows aren't particularly old, they look (on the surface to my untrained eye) to be in good condition and are not draughty. They are uPVC and one of the windows in question is a bay. The house is mid-terrace and built around 1970.

Cracks start to appear and you just imagine ££££!!

Thanks in advance

Your house is not old, no bad thing but suddenly cracks are appearing?

Think cover up for the sale or new plaster done before the sale.

They may have lived on a budget with little heating then warmed things up for the sale, could be the cause of your issue

Fill the cracks and wait a few weeks, if all is stable they shouldn't move further. If they do them maybe a survey, did you get one at point of sale?

leannejj

Thanks both for your replies.

SailorSam - is this still the case when it's the same type of crack at the same place in different rooms, all at the same time? The fact that this has happened so quickly is what made me think that there may be some underlying cause.

cyclonebri1 - would it be safe to fill and monitor for a few weeks if there is a bigger problem? We had a homebuyer report done during the buying process. The only comment made in relation to walls was with regards to damp on the rear extension wall due to it being only single brick in thickness. We had this independently tested following the survey and no damp at all was observed. Nevertheless we had work done to improve the thickness and insulation of this wall. This wall is on the opposite side to the house to the cracks, which have appeared near some of the windows at the front of the house.

Southend1

Personally I wouldn't be in a rush to fill them as it will be harder to monitor. Could just be seasonal movement due to change in weather. I have a brig crack in my bedroom ceiling and wall that opens up in the cold, damp weather and is almost invisible in summer

SailorSam

Yes as Cyclone said could be something to do with the heating bringing out moisture in the plaster. I'd worry more i think if the cracks were on the outside of the house.

Davesnave

We are just at the end of a very dry spell, so seasonal movement caused by shrinkage of the surrounding soil/subsoil might be to blame. Places on clay are worst for this.

As others have suggested, the previous owners would likely have covered small movement cracks, if that's all they are.

There's no need to see £££ signs yet, but monitor rather than fill till you are sure what the extent of this will be.

cyclonebri1

Southend1 wrote: »

Personally I wouldn't be in a rush to fill them as it will be harder to monitor. Could just be seasonal movement due to change in weather. I have a brig crack in my bedroom ceiling and wall that opens up in the cold, damp weather and is almost invisible in summer

I understand what you are saying but it is far easier to see a filled crack open than a crack that has opened by 0.01mm when it was already a mm wide?:)