Are these cracks reason for concern?

user45789651

I am buying an old (early 1900) flat in a terraced house.
Please, should I be concerned for these cracks?
(it's all the same crack, I posted a few pictures)
Thanks!

FreeBear

I'm guessing that crack is beside a window or door ?

It looks like there has been some filler whacked in there in the past (badly) and the crack has opened up again - Not a good sign. Any photos of the other side of the wall ?

cymruchris

Terraced houses from around the turn of the 20th century are renowned for having cracks in certain parts of the country - you'd need to provide a bit more context to understand how serious it might be. Where in the country is it? Is it over any old mine-workings? Usually the cracks can open up and close through the course of a year when it gets hot/dry then cold/damp. 

user45789651

cymruchris said:

Terraced houses from around the turn of the 20th century are renowned for having cracks in certain parts of the country - you'd need to provide a bit more context to understand how serious it might be. Where in the country is it? Is it over any old mine-workings? Usually the cracks can open up and close through the course of a year when it gets hot/dry then cold/damp. 

Thanks!
It's in London, not over an old mine.

user45789651

Thanks a lot!
its' beside a door.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the other side.
It's an internal wall.

Apodemus

user45789651 said:

cymruchris said:

Terraced houses from around the turn of the 20th century are renowned for having cracks in certain parts of the country - you'd need to provide a bit more context to understand how serious it might be. Where in the country is it? Is it over any old mine-workings? Usually the cracks can open up and close through the course of a year when it gets hot/dry then cold/damp. 

It's in London, not over an old mine.

While you can be pretty sure of the first of these, the second is far from certain!  in many parts of the country, old mines are poorly mapped and criss-cross at various depths.  Perhaps less so in London, but I'd take any reports of "no mines" with a pinch of salt.

But the cracks in many older properties are simply the effect of central heating installed perhaps 30/40 years ago after the property had 70 years of damper conditions and the plaster shrinking and cracking. 

daveyjp

Looks fairly typical for Victorian properties built on London clay.

If the property has never been completely refurbished it will probably still have lath and plaster walls and ceilings which will be becoming tired and that also causes weakness and cracking.

Doozergirl

daveyjp said:

Looks fairly typical for Victorian properties built on London clay.

If the property has never been completely refurbished it will probably still have lath and plaster walls and ceilings which will be becoming tired and that also causes weakness and cracking.

This.  I'd knock the plaster around the crack as it's quite possible that the plaster has blown from the wall and the crack is just a symptom of that.  All houses move, but blown plaster will visually exacerbate it.  

Is there anything on the outside of the building that echoes this crack? 

Bendy_House

It's an internal wall, apparently.

User, if you don't have more photos, could you post a link to the sales partics., and indicate which doorway it is?

What stage are you at with the purchase, and what survey will you be having?

In any event, I presume you are anticipating some significant refurbishment will be required?

FaceHead

If you are buying an old house like this a survey is a must. Your surveyor will give you an !!!!!!-covering non-opinion in the report, but might actually tell you in person if it's something to worry about. 

Have there been modifications to the house that mean this wall may have been overloaded? Old houses like this have cracks in them, but this (the scale is hard to tell) does seem to be at the big end if the spectrum. 

Some random's opinions on some blurry photos is no substitute for eyes on by a surveyor. 

FreeBear

Apodemus said:

user45789651 said:

cymruchris said:

Terraced houses from around the turn of the 20th century are renowned for having cracks in certain parts of the country - you'd need to provide a bit more context to understand how serious it might be. Where in the country is it? Is it over any old mine-workings? Usually the cracks can open up and close through the course of a year when it gets hot/dry then cold/damp. 

It's in London, not over an old mine.

While you can be pretty sure of the first of these, the second is far from certain!  in many parts of the country, old mines are poorly mapped and criss-cross at various depths.  Perhaps less so in London, but I'd take any reports of "no mines" with a pinch of salt.

But the cracks in many older properties are simply the effect of central heating installed perhaps 30/40 years ago after the property had 70 years of damper conditions and the plaster shrinking and cracking. 

Mines cover a hole range of underground workings. Anything from the huge coal mines that extend right out under the North Sea up north through to simple shafts dug down in to chalk (e.g. Grimes Graves). Apparently, the south east is littered with chalk workings that were dug for flint (a useful building material) and chalk (used in agriculture and brick making). https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geoscientist/Archive/July-2014/A-hole-lot-of-trouble & https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/sinkholes-research/what-causes-sinkholes-where-uk/

With London, your biggest concern with subterranean collapse is from basement conversions - Some of these basement projects are massive in comparison to the size of the building above ground. And there have been a number of cases reported where a building has collapsed during the "conversion". Unfortunately, when this happens, it takes adjoining properties with it and can cause damage to other buildings close by.

OP - Might be worth checking the local planning portal for basement conversions within a few doors either side.