Bay window and bedroom cracks - help?

sbird90

hi
another day another crack. 

Okay so last night we heard a bang noise, almost sounded metal like if someone had hit a radiator. Can’t see anything that’s dropped (in or outside) nothing since however this morning I’ve noticed a hairline crack on the “roof” (sorry don’t know the name) of the bay (internal). I can’t say 100% the crack formed last night but it’s a new crack and wasn’t there a few weeks ago I was up cleaning it and would have noticed it then. I also decided to have a look behind the wall paper under the bay and there’s a larger crack, can’t see how far down it goes because of the radiator. Now this wallpaper was on when we moved in, so could have always been there it’s the first time I’ve looked but seeing the larger crack with the hairline and then also the bang now has me worried. Also I noticed my wallpaper in my dressing room crinkled and I’ve felt it and feels like there’s a crack under there too. It’s on the wall between bedrooms (so internal not external like the bay is) but I’m in my dressing room a lot each day and I would have noticed it before now so think it’s new as well. 

Should I be concerned?

Doozergirl

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

sbird90

Doozergirl said:

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

Oh goodness knows! The previous owner of the house bought it to rent, and I looked at the selling history as it had photos of the listing from when we bought it and it still has the same decor as the owner before last so I think it’s been a long while since it’s had some love! 

What would cause the long hairline crack on the bay ceiling? 

RelievedSheff

I would hazard a guess at blown plaster.

Was the property empty and unheated before you moved in?

Just keep an eye on the cracks and watch for any getting bigger.

sbird90

sbird90 said:

Doozergirl said:

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

Oh goodness knows! The previous owner of the house bought it to rent, and I looked at the selling history as it had photos of the listing from when we bought it and it still has the same decor as the owner before last so I think it’s been a long while since it’s had some love! 

What would cause the long hairline crack on the bay ceiling? 

It was empty before we moved in yeah, but we have lived here just over a year now so seems odd they all seem to be appearing now?

TELLIT01

Hairline crack in the bay ceiling may simply be the join between two plasterboard sheets. 

RelievedSheff

sbird90 said:

sbird90 said:

Doozergirl said:

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

Oh goodness knows! The previous owner of the house bought it to rent, and I looked at the selling history as it had photos of the listing from when we bought it and it still has the same decor as the owner before last so I think it’s been a long while since it’s had some love! 

What would cause the long hairline crack on the bay ceiling? 

It was empty before we moved in yeah, but we have lived here just over a year now so seems odd they all seem to be appearing now?

Could be the plaster drying gradually drying out if it was a bit damp when you moved in.

Plaster is very brittle and cracks easily with the slightest of movement or shrinkage. We moved into a new build 18 months ago and the other half has had to go round the house and sort the shrinkage cracking out in the plaster in every room!!

sbird90

RelievedSheff said:

sbird90 said:

sbird90 said:

Doozergirl said:

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

Oh goodness knows! The previous owner of the house bought it to rent, and I looked at the selling history as it had photos of the listing from when we bought it and it still has the same decor as the owner before last so I think it’s been a long while since it’s had some love! 

What would cause the long hairline crack on the bay ceiling? 

It was empty before we moved in yeah, but we have lived here just over a year now so seems odd they all seem to be appearing now?

Could be the plaster drying gradually drying out if it was a bit damp when you moved in.

Plaster is very brittle and cracks easily with the slightest of movement or shrinkage. We moved into a new build 18 months ago and the other half has had to go round the house and sort the shrinkage cracking out in the plaster in every room!!

It’s a 1930s house, I would have thought settlement cracks would have happened well before now it’s got me worried sick 

FreeBear

sbird90 said: It’s a 1930s house, I would have thought settlement cracks would have happened well before now it’s got me worried sick 

The plaster is the right colour to be lime. Typical for the age of the property. As long as there are no cracks visible on the outside of the wall, what you have there is minor. Most likely due to the plaster blowing (does it sound hollow if you tap the area with your finger ?)

As for the ceiling, hairline cracks are quite common with a plaster & lath ceiling. Just put some fine filler in (and the same with the wall), lightly sand back, and repaint.

RelievedSheff

sbird90 said:

RelievedSheff said:

sbird90 said:

sbird90 said:

Doozergirl said:

They're not usual places for movement cracks.  

How old is the plaster?  It's possible it's blown.  

Oh goodness knows! The previous owner of the house bought it to rent, and I looked at the selling history as it had photos of the listing from when we bought it and it still has the same decor as the owner before last so I think it’s been a long while since it’s had some love! 

What would cause the long hairline crack on the bay ceiling? 

It was empty before we moved in yeah, but we have lived here just over a year now so seems odd they all seem to be appearing now?

Could be the plaster drying gradually drying out if it was a bit damp when you moved in.

Plaster is very brittle and cracks easily with the slightest of movement or shrinkage. We moved into a new build 18 months ago and the other half has had to go round the house and sort the shrinkage cracking out in the plaster in every room!!

It’s a 1930s house, I would have thought settlement cracks would have happened well before now it’s got me worried sick 

Not settlement, shrinkage. Materials dry out over time especially so if a house has been left unheated and a little damp and then heated and dried out.

Houses continually move as different materials expand and contract at different rates.

stuart45

My next door neighbour had a similar problem when he first moved in. The old lady who owned the old cottage had it virtually rebuilt, but hardly ever heated for about 7 years.
When he moved in and started heating the property the cracks started appearing, especially over the frames. Wasted his money getting an SE to tell him what the problem was.