Cracks in painted walls

Chrisg412

I’m at my witts end. Bought a house end of 2018. 100 years old  had been converted from old hospital buildings about 12 years ago. But badly. Main bugbear boxed in piping everywhere.  I replaced the kitchen, three bathrooms, all internal doors, flooring. Got rid of the boxed in central heating pipe work. All new radiators downstairs. So spent a considerable amount of money. The house was painted throughout in in 2019 when the work was completed.  During that time one wall in the master bedroom was replastered as the decorator pointed out the plaster had come away from the wall in a metre wide spot. He decorated every single room in the house and no further problems were highlighted. Because of delays with furniture, carpets etc, I didn’t move into the house until the very beginning of this year. It was kept heated in the winter. In September of last year all the carpets were fitted upstairs and to my horror the carpet fitters pointed out another wall, again in the master bedroom, where plaster was coming away from the wall. Which would definitely have to be redone. Possibly brought on by all the banging but no doubt the result of poor plaster work 12 years ago? If that wasn’t bad enough I now have cracks in every room, except the kitchen and the smallest bedroom. They are mainly, but not exclusively, (there is a massive one going up the staircase), running from the corners of window frames to
wards the skirting boards in fine straight lines.  The walls seem to be boarded under the plasterwork, as there is a hollow sound when I tap them. These fine cracks have literally happened whilst I have lived here in the last three months. Apart from the master bedroom, which seems to be a different  problem. I paid £7000 to have my house painted. Inside only. Paint cost on top. Is this the paint? Is it the 12 year old plaster work?  This is a nightmare. How can I resolve this. Are there any options without turning my house back into a building site, which it was for most of 2019. I live alone so don’t really have anyone to turn to. Would appreciate any advice or help offered. 

Martin_the_Unjust

100 year old building repurposed then left empty for a while, I would be very surprised if you didn’t have cracks in the plasterwork. 

Best option? Live with it (and in it) for ten years then get it redecorated (although it’s more than likely some fine cracks will still come back)

Chrisg412

Thank you for replying. Even though the cracks are from the 12 year old refurb when some of the walls were boarded before being plastered?

Chrisg412

I’m an old lady might not make 10 years. Legacy for my grandchildren so wanted it to be the best I could make. 

Martin_the_Unjust

I suspect that because the cracks have happened since you’ve moved in they are caused by the building being heated internally more (or differently).

Dedekind

It happened to me as well, complete refurbishment of 100 year old house, and cracks appearing in new paint. Everyone said it's pretty common (I still don't understand why in the 21st century this is not something that can be prevented in some way..). It's very annoying.. our builders filled the cracks that appeared after a few months, but new cracks appeared elsewhere, and one of the filled ones re-appeared.

I was told there is not much that can be done at the time. One thing I should mention is that most cracks seem to be in the parts where the old plaster was left in place and skimmed. The walls with new plasterboard seem to be doing fine.