Cracks in walls - are they safe?

playlister82

I live in an old council house block built in the 1930's and there are cracks in some of the walls. Most of them are vertical stretching from floor to ceiling but a couple are diagonal. We live on a busy road that has heavy traffic day and night so I know this is what causes them. What concerns me is that we've filled the cracks in before but they reappear. And I think (but I am not sure) that we get a new one every few years. If it's caused by the traffic outside and they are just internal cracks is there anything to worry about? We don't have the means to get a professional surveyor out.

tacpot12

The following site suggests that your prpblems are potentially serious and in need of professional review. http://skilledbuild.co.uk/understand-cracks-in-walls/?___store=default

A professional surveyor would probably only charge a few hundred pounds to visit and give an opinion.

You might also call your insurer and ask if they would provide an surveyor. You really need to act quickly as it will be a condition of your insurance.

No one on MSE will be able to say whether you property is safe or not.

VancleVector

I think it is not that safe...

stator

I'm rather sceptical of your theory that it's the traffic causing all these cracks.

You need to know what type of house you have, 1930s houses could be many different types, traditional or non-traditional, brick, concrete or PRC
Then you need to hire a structural surveyor who is a specialist in your type of house.

bxboards

How wide are the cracks? In a very dry summer then there will be less moisture in the ground causing shrinkage.

Too be honest, if the house has been there since 1930 and it's still there now, this isn't something I'd be too worried about.

Robby1988

Cracks generally come with the territory with old houses. Are the cracks wide enough to get your finger into? If it!!!8217;s just hairline cracks I wouldn!!!8217;t be worrying. I very much doubt it!!!8217;s being caused by passing traffic, more likely just shrinkage & expansion as we go through different periods of weather.

Frank99

A neighbour who is a Quantity Surveyor once told me i should be most concerned by any diagonal cracks as these pose most threat of problems, especially if they are on the outside of the walls, straight lines can be plaster drying out etc.
If you are renting from the Council then let them deal with it, they have their own surveyors etc, if not seek further advice.

playlister82

They are about a millimetre wide. They have always been there. Most of them are vertical but one becomes near diagonal near the ceiling and goes all the way through the interior wall. It's clearly caused by traffic outside, we live on one of London's main traffic arteries with heavy traffic all day and night. As has been said, the building's been here since the 1930's and I highly doubt that it is caused by subsidence or the foundations moving.

What worried me is that we had filled one of the cracks with plaster a few years ago but it's come back. And it's so hard to tell if new ones are developing, when you look at a wall every day of your life you stop seeing it after a while. I was just hoping there'd be someone else with experience of this.