cracks driving me crackers

siocledpoeth

o.h. is ignoring the problem. i'm getting worried. have lived in our house for 10years. insides had been replastered about 4 years before then. last summer, i noticed small crack in living room ceiling plaster. now runs all the way from internal to external wall and has widened. cracks have appeared at the join between the wall and ceiling and one or two small bits have fallen off.
cracks have appeared in all the upstairs rooms on ceilings mostly. yesterday noticed a crack running down where the stairs join the external wall (on the inside)
any suggestions as it's driving me crackers.
had one builder round - useless.
thankyou

robv_3

Cracks between ceiling and walls are pretty much normal unless they are very wide.

All houses suffer from some settlement which can cause cracks in walls. It really depends on how big (to top to bottom of house) and how wide.

nalyo

just wondering .....have you had anyone go in the loft recently? for insulation / re-wire etc? this may be the cause.

siocledpoeth

the attic has been used as a playroom for years before we came. we just use it for storage.

we have had an inglenook rebuilt and chimney lined 18 months ago.

also had french drain put in outside to carry water away from house.

could these have contributed?

could there be some sort of settling if the land is now dryer than in the past?

this is an old house, been standing for over a century.

robv_3

storing heavy stuff in the loft is a no no for most new houses as the joists are only 4in with long spans and cant take the weight. This causes cracks in ceilings etc. As yours is an old house expect this does not apply. Thin or not well supported floor joists can cause the same issue which is more common in old houses.

Changing the wetness of the ground is another cause. Cutting down big trees is the most common cause of damage where the ground becomes saturated over time resulting in ground heave. Adding drainage will have the same effect (in reverse) along with long dry summers.

Some houses move around and will always get cracks. Just put coving up and cover the joint between wall and ceiling If you cant see it there is not a problem .Crack to small to get your finger in or is visibility runs from top to bottom of house forget about it.