Cracks including artex ceilings

GoldenShadow

Hi

I was wondering if anyone on here could offer me advice or tell me who I should contact for advice. There are three kinds:

1) Cracks in the plaster, sounds hollow when you knock
2) Crack coming out diagonally from top of pantry door, can see it from inside and from outside. Sort of stepped shape but not the actual zig zag as if it is coming from around the bricks, not sure quite how perfectly zig zagged it has to be to be a stepped one?
3) Hairline cracks on the edges of artex ceilings

Would it be a plasterer that I ask to take a look, or, as I don't know what the cracks are really (pantry one mainly) should I ask someone else? FTB so not sure who to be asking really! Got a general handyman to come have a look and patch up the render, maybe I could ask him about the cracks too, I take it unless it was something major like subsidence they don't need to be qualified in x or y?

In my parents old house we had pretty much these exact issues and never did anything, Mum is under the impression it is just an older house thing.

Jonesya

Have a read of this handy guide!
https://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=3356

SG27

I didn't find that very handy? Looks like you have to purchase the publication to get anything meaningful. All that says is small cracks are fine large cracks are not.

GoldenShadow

I will ask FIL when he next pops around, but he has been very unwell which is why I am struggling to know where to start with this one! Thanks both.

TheCyclingProgrammer

The hollow plaster will be blown. If it's cracked and it's just a small patch, it might be worth knocking off the patch of plaster back to a solid edge and repairing with either a bonding coat and skim or a one coat plaster (maybe to just below the surface then finish with easifill as you can sand this back).

Of course, there's a risk that quite a lot of plaster is blown and you may find yourself taking off a lot of plaster. Might be worth getting a plasterer in for an opinion.

How big we're the cracks from the door corners? If the plaster is old then th see areas are susceptible to cracking due to the stresses of opening and closing the door over time. Are the walls solid or stud walls?

Walls will develop cracks over time, how old is the house? Most can just be raked out and filled when you decorate.

You might want to consider getting the artex ceiling skimmed over anyway as its horrible stuff. Are the ceilings lath and plaster? If so they are probably quite old.