Cracks forming in plaster along walls?

recci

I live next to a main road and every time a big lorry or bus goes by I feel the living room shake.
Iv noticed some some cracks forming in the plaster along one wall. Its an old building built around 1910 and I am not sure how old the cracks actually as as I suspect the previous owner just did a quick cover up job with paint to sell that house. Iv posted some pictures as best I could, should I actually be worried about this and what should I do?

If its nothing to worry about how do I actually hide these crack? Is there some form of undercoat or something I can use so that when I paint over it the cracks wont reappear?







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Doozergirl

Have you knocked on the walls around where the cracks are appearing? Does any of it sound hollow?

recci

Doozergirl wrote: »

Have you knocked on the walls around where the cracks are appearing? Does any of it sound hollow?

Not sure ill check when i get home why?

FreeBear

recci wrote: »

Not sure ill check when i get home why?

If it sounds hollow over a large area, it means the plaster has become detached from the wall - Otherwise known as "blown plaster".

In relatively small areas, blown plaster is not a problem. In older buildings, it is usually more than thick enough to stand up on its own. I've got sections around my house that sound hollow when tapped - A couple of square feet in one spot, but the plaster is almost an inch thick so it isn't going to fall down.

The traditional way of dealing with cracks is to paper over them. Just painting will see them all showing through again in a matter of weeks. You could try scraping them out and using a wall filler before painting, but the different texture would show again before too long.

Lining paper, and then paint would be the way to go.

recci

So the cracks are likely only plaster deep and that wall inst about to fall down? I am planning to paint my living room in high quality dulux urban obsession trade paint plus the walls are 11 feet high. Id rather avoid having to paper it first.

FreeBear

recci wrote: »

So the cracks are likely only plaster deep and that wall inst about to fall down?

Unless the walls outside are showing major cracks (big enough to put your fingers through), it is unlikely the place will fall down.

TheCyclingProgrammer

As others have said, there's a good chance you have old plaster on the walls which has started to blow. It doesn't mean it's going to fall down but it is more susceptible to cracking.

The old plaster may have been skimmed over more recently but if the underlying plaster isn't sound this will eventually cause some cracks to re-appear on the surface.

Short of ripping it all off and having the house re-plastered I'd agree that you should either rake out the cracks and fill before re-decorating or use lining paper.

Living_proof

FreeBear wrote: »

Unless the walls outside are showing major cracks (big enough to put your fingers through), it is unlikely the place will fall down.

Without sounding alarmist, please do check the outer wall carefully. Like you I lived in a house on a road with lots of lorries and buses going through (although it was a village road which was never constructed to take that sort of traffic) and unfortunately the property was subject to subsidence. I only noticed it when discussing the exterior paintwork with a decorator when standing across the road, and saw some diagonal cracks in the stonework. Looking inside there were a few less obvious cracks in the plaster, but I did notify my buildings insurer who sent out a structural engineer. He installed equipment which let him know how much more the building would move over the period of about 18 months. It was subsidence and was treated at a cost of £22000, and I had to pay around £7000 as it turned out I was underinsured as I had relied on the surveyor's insurance cost when we bought the house and it had been index-linked thereafter. If you have any doubts whatever I suggest you go on the RIBA website who offer an exact calculation, depending on materials of construction, size etc. and if necessary increase the value of your insurance - just in case.

I do hope I am wrong, but make sure you cover yourself for all eventualities.

recci

The cracks are not appearing on an outside wall. Its the wall between the living room and a bed room plus I live in the top floor flat. Ill either paper over it or just paint and live with it.

recci

Maybe you guys could offer advice in my other thread. I have a small tree growing out of the brickwork near the roof. Not sure what to do about this either.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5632673

FreeBear

recci wrote: »

Maybe you guys could offer advice in my other thread. I have a small tree growing out of the brickwork near the roof. Not sure what to do about this either.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5632673

You need to get it removed as soon as possible, along with as much of the roots as possible - If left, it will destroy the brickwork and cause no end of problems. It may well be a Buddleia so should be fairly easy to treat. Once it has been killed off, the brickwork will need repointing which is a minor job normally.