Cracks in plaster

geraint83

Hi everybody,

I purchased a house last August which was originally built early in 2006. I know that new-build houses are supposed to have cracks in them as the walls dry out, but I've recently come across a few cracks I'm not sure whether I should be concerned about.

In the stury, there is a crack in the paint on the wall which extends from the windowsill - it's one where the paintwork is starting to get loose from the wall. Today, on poking the bit which sticked out the most, a piece fell off and exposed the plaster underneath (the paint and the pink skim came off together). Underneath, there is a small crack in the plasterwork (I'm guessing that it runs through the plaster directly underneath the crack which appears in the paintwork) - should I be concerned about this? Most of the other cracks around the house are typical (i.e. the paint and skim isn't coming off from the plasterwork).

In the homebuyers report before we purchased the house, the surveyor indicated that there are some cracks in the rendering on the outside of the house but that these weren't urgent (I intend to get this done over the summer when the weather's better). I've been round the house to check and there isn't a crack in the render outside which would match up with the crack on the inside.

I also have some paint in the bedroom which looks like it's bubbling and with an air pocket underneath - could this be a similar crack to the one in the study?

I'd be grateful for any response. Should I be concerned about these or are they to be expected with a relatively new home?

Many thanks!

geraint83

Can anyone give any advice please?

Doozergirl

Can you take a photo to show us?

geraint83

Doozegirl, thanks for the response. Here's a photo:

The actual size of the piece where the paint has come away is about 4cm x 7cm. Scarily, the cracks actually look larger in the photo than they are on the wall!!

I'm not sure how to place the photo in the post but it can be viewed here: http://www.!!!!!!/shared/p8cvlbtgco

littlepockets

The key is to monitor the crack to see if it is growing

measure or photograph it at weekly intervals

as its a new build it should be covered by a NHBC 10 year guarantee ?

some more detailed info can be found here:

http://www.abi.org.uk/Display/default.asp?Menu_ID=1140&Menu_All=1,946,1140&Child_ID=405

geraint83

Hi thanks for your response - the information on your link was very interesting.

We have a tree behind the house (it's in a school field) and was there before the house was built. It's about 5 metres away which is well below the safe distance. This might be the problem so I'd better keep checking the crack regularly to see if it widens. Hopefully, it won't and that this isn't the problem.

Yes, the building is covered by a NHBC 10 year guarantee. However, all I have is a photocopy of a covernote issued by Zurich. Where would the original insurance certificate be? Someone else has been living in the house before us so would the certificate have been sent by our solicitor to the mortgage provider?

Doozergirl

That doesn't look like shrinkage to me. Is it coming from the corner of the windowsill? When houses do move it's the points of least resistance that will show cracking, like the corners of windows and doors.

You can tape a slip of paper tightly across the crack and see if it breaks over time. Also mark the end of the crack with a pencil and see if the line extends out any further over time.

You can telephone NHBC - you don't actually need the certificate, just your postcode, but the fact that you have a Zurich cover note sounds like you might have a Zurich 10 year guarantee instead - was it a major builder?

When I called NHBC on behalf of my mother in law a couple of years back, they were really helpful and sent people out to look with no questions asked. The dug trial holes and monitored the area over a year and it's fine - it was just the house settling onto it's foundations.

All houses move, so don't panic too much It's not a massive crack.

misgrace

I would definately get someone round to monitor it, I come across all the time in my line of work, but as its in the brick, I do think there could be something more there.

I used to decorate for insurance firms that dealt with fire damage. flood damage, subsidence, and usually you would see a crack on the outside wall, which they moniter for months.

You have to be more vigillent when the crack is on the outside wall, either in the corner, or near the window.

Please dont think I am trying to scare you, but just get it checked out.

Forgetful

I have always questioned the way they are building houses these days

A lot of them are just made of wood with bricks and plaster board around them
I cannot see how they will last..
mainly because wood shrinks and expands a lot in the different weather..therefore causing cracks in the plaster.

When I went to have a nosy at a new build (show house) I can already see the great cracks in the plaster.

I always remembered my old wooden doors at my house..the back door wasterible when winter arrived...we could never get it opened because it had expanded and when we did get it opened once we couldnt shut it again..the door had expanded by about 1 inch.......

macduf

I would cut out the area around the crack and see if the wall underneath has any cracks in it. If it has I would wedge broken slate in to the gap to create a solid surface and then re cover firstly with a coat of uni-bond then a bonding compound finish then with a coat of Plaster. Then keep an eye on it but I think it will settle down.

Doozergirl

Forgetful wrote: »

I have always questioned the way they are building houses these days

A lot of them are just made of wood with bricks and plaster board around them
I cannot see how they will last..
mainly because wood shrinks and expands a lot in the different weather..therefore causing cracks in the plaster.

A lot of them aren't made with wood at all plus we have some of the strictest building regulations in the world! Just because many materials are manmade, doesn't mean they are worse, in fact they are specifically designed for purpose. Many finishes in new build are dire but the overall structure has to conform to building regulations.

Wood, in fact, is an excellent material for building houses exactly because it stretches and moves, rather than cracks like brickwork. The evidence surrounds us in the form of Tudor Timber framed buildings