Update on This crack looks ominous....😳 lender has commented "evidence of movement"

FreeBear

Lyd00 said: It looks like artex (we've obtained some samples for a company to test for asbestos). Would artex crack like this though, I thought it was pretty hardy stuff?

If the base layer of plaster is cracked and still subject to minor movement, what ever you put over the top will eventually crack. Raking out the crack, filling, and reinforcing with a scrim mesh will help to reduce the propensity to crack again.

The wide bit of "smooth" wall could just be generous use of filler to "fix" the crack long after the artex had been applied. If you are nervous about a structural defect causing the cracks, it would be prudent to get a more detailed survey. The house has had uPVC windows - I would want to know if lintels were fitted when the windows were replaced (if it was required). With a lot of older properties, the wooden timber window frames provided structural support for the brickwork above. FENSA have issued a number of briefings on the subject..

eidand

jesus, came here expecting to see the mother of all cracks, you know, top half of the room almost falling down.

That kind of stuff would not bother me 1 bit, easy to sort it out.

Lyd00

eidand said:

jesus, came here expecting to see the mother of all cracks, you know, top half of the room almost falling down.

That kind of stuff would not bother me 1 bit, easy to sort it out.

😂 sorry to dissapoint. They'd reassuring i guess.

And is it? I'm totally clueless 😖

SavingPennies_2

I'm sat here looking at a very similar crack under my windowsill and not the least bit concerned. That really doesn't look that bad, I assume you'll be getting a survey which should pick up anything to be concerned about. Also if this is an old property expect it to pick up loads of problems, most of which you won't need to worry/ do much about!

stuart45

The crack is probably nothing to worry about, but the only thing to keep in mind about cracks is that really wide cracks started off as small ones.

FreeBear

p00hsticks said:

This makes me think of the old Crocodile Dundee quip - 'that;s not a crack ... THIS is a crack'

This is a crack to worry about..

m0bov

Only if it's on the inside as well.

deannagone

Re Artex/textured wall coverings.  The bane of my life is a previous tenant here who commissioned/DIY'd textured plaster coating on the walls of the lounge/hall/stairs in my council property.  Its been applied really thickly in some places, a couple of millimetres thick in others.  When I moved in, there were places the covering was falling off the walls.  I am gradually scraping it off so I can affirm, there are places where it seems to have been superglued to the walls steaming/water, lots of scraping etc and you are still at it an hour later.  Its awful awful stuff.

I suspect whoever did it didn't know what they were doing.  Couldn't leave it with bits missing and its a horror to remove completely.  Chemicals that remove it are quite expensive and with 4m high walls in the stairway (I don't even know how to safely get myself that high on stairs with two bends in it).., it would cost hundreds to remove.  Council of course, says its decorating so won't help.  I did have a plasterer give me a quote but wasn't overwhelmed with confidence when he refused to come round and see it, felt it would be a scummy job lol.  So I'm stuck scraping the stuff off.., very slowly, getting lots of mess everywhere. 

As already said, textured wall coverings are tough if applied properly (I think the stuff in my place was applied too dry, it was powder in places it fell off the walls) and if the wall underneath is sound.  Neither applied here.

newsgroupmonkey_

deannagone said:

Re Artex/textured wall coverings.  The bane of my life is a previous tenant here who commissioned/DIY'd textured plaster coating on the walls of the lounge/hall/stairs in my council property.  Its been applied really thickly in some places, a couple of millimetres thick in others.  When I moved in, there were places the covering was falling off the walls.  I am gradually scraping it off so I can affirm, there are places where it seems to have been superglued to the walls steaming/water, lots of scraping etc and you are still at it an hour later.  Its awful awful stuff.

I suspect whoever did it didn't know what they were doing.  Couldn't leave it with bits missing and its a horror to remove completely.  Chemicals that remove it are quite expensive and with 4m high walls in the stairway (I don't even know how to safely get myself that high on stairs with two bends in it).., it would cost hundreds to remove.  Council of course, says its decorating so won't help.  I did have a plasterer give me a quote but wasn't overwhelmed with confidence when he refused to come round and see it, felt it would be a scummy job lol.  So I'm stuck scraping the stuff off.., very slowly, getting lots of mess everywhere. 

As already said, textured wall coverings are tough if applied properly (I think the stuff in my place was applied too dry, it was powder in places it fell off the walls) and if the wall underneath is sound.  Neither applied here.

We're fighting our cracks right now too, but for slightly different reasoning, but a similar position.

Our neighbour has lived in his property since it was built and lived in the village whilst it was being built so explained the story.

Apparently, in the late 60s, some builders bought the land. They built the houses to about 70% before getting into trouble - something to do with a divorce. The property ended up in the ladies name and she just needed to realise the money.

The council bought all the properties on our road (about 16 I think) and completed them. Some they sold off, and others they kept as stock.

However, what they also did was finish them "on the cheap". As per early 70s, they weren't plasterboarded. The plaster they did use resembles something I'd expect to see when making biscuits! The previous owner loved his pictures and I joke not when I say I think there are over 100 rawl plugs in the wall and not the ones that go flush. So we've needed to remove an awful lot of them before decorating.

Due to the wall having the consistency of an overcooked biscuit, we have to be careful not to have a hole the size of a frisbee that goes all the way to brick! I've found the best thing to do is to drill the rawl plugs flush to the wall and fill them. It's not pretty or perfect and quite honestly a bit of a bodge.

All the walls have been skimmed, so this wouldn't help - it's not the actual plaster finish in our case, but the consistency of the plaster underneath.

FreeBear

deannagone said: Re Artex/textured wall coverings.

  Chemicals that remove it are quite expensive and with 4m high walls in the stairway (I don't even know how to safely get myself that high on stairs with two bends in it).., it would cost hundreds to remove.

For the really stubborn sections, X-Tex works pretty well, but as you say, it is quite expensive. For stairwells, you can't beat a scaffold tower (they are available specifically for stairwells), but again, they are expensive to buy or hire.

Or take a look at this - http://peckdrywallandpainting.com/how-to-skim-coat-using-paint-roller-trick/ - If you use a premixed drywall "mud" (jointing compound or plaster), it can be sponge sanded to get a smoother finish. The tools used could be attached to the end of a long pole, so you could avoid the need to work off a ladder or hire in a scaffold tower.

Personally, I'd save up and get a plasterer in to do a proper job. Some things are just not worth the risk of taking a fall.