builing survey builing survey
 
building valuations

My Building has got cracks in it

 

Cracks In My Wall

 

If you would like to talk to a chartered surveyor or chartered engineer about any structural problems you may have or require and engineer's report please phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat.

 

Introduction

We thought an example of a problem that we have come across would be a good way of showing you what we do and what cracks can mean.

 

Structural cracks overview

Brick wall

The property is a 1920's built semi-detached property. Its construction is:

 

 

 

•  a pitched roof clad with a concrete tile

•  the walls have a painted render finish

•  the windows are plastic double glazed

•  fascias and soffits boards are painted timber

•  gutters and downpipes are cast iron and plastic

 

Cracking problem

Recently whilst carrying out gardening work the householder noted that there was cracking in the property, which they had not seen before. Concerned about this, the therefore call us to give an independent assessment.

 

Inspection of the cracks

Investigating cracking

 

 

 

 

Initially we carried out an external examination of the cracks, photographing the cracks and recording their position and sketching them. Whilst we were carrying out all this work we were thinking about what the problem could be. We carried out the same exercise internally and noted that the cracks were predominantly around the windows. The cracks ranged from hairline cracks to cracks of a few millimetres wide. The action required is that we would recommend anyone with an older property to think carefully before having plastic windows installed.

 

 

Question and answer session with the homeowner

We then had a general chat with the homeowner and a specific one about the cracks and about the history of the property. This, combined with our general knowledge of 1920's properties, brought us to a conclusion, but before we give you that let us explain a bit more about the thought process.

 

 

The thought process behind the conclusion

 

Woodworm1920's buildings or around the war year buildings had many characteristics, one of which is that there was a limited supply of tradesmen at the time and that materials were rationed. Defects in both are common and often houses were built in, what we would term as, a lightweight style, utilising the minimums due to the rationing that existed. Since that time there have also been major alterations and additions in most houses, the first relating to how the property is heated. Originally in years gone by the heating would have been via coal fires so there were coal store houses, and also over the years central heating has been added to properties, which had meant that floorboards have needed to be lifted and cut into to run the pipes, etc. This means that construction that was already lightweight may in addition have been cut into, causing further problems.

Also at the time the properties were constructed it was not standard to treat all timbers, accordingly woodworm is more prevalent in this age of construction.

There are many other, what we would term as, characteristics of this age of construction that we could mention but we hope these examples give you an indication of the type of things that surveyors look for. However, in this instance due to the way the cracking was being formed pointed to there being problems around the windows. This was confirmed when we did what we refer to as a timeline.

Timeline explained

The timeline that we carry out when we look for that specific defect is a history of as many alterations and amendments as the householder can advise us of. We then also add into this things that we have noted that may be the householder is not aware of or has forgotten about or that happened before they came to the property. This builds up a picture and a history of the construction, so in this case we were very pleased when the householder advised that they had had the windows replaced about a year ago.

Replaced windowsThe original timber windows had been replaced with a plastic double glazed windows and whilst this had benefits on the thermal properties and acoustic, as they had some quieting properties too, they certainly did not help the structure. This is because the original timber windows (as we did check they were timber windows previously) also had structural properties, which meant in part they supported the structure. They were also flexible and moved with the structure as it moved throughout the year, because all properties of this age have some element of movement.

 

 

These two factors meant that the building adjusted over the different seasons and therefore the cracking didn't occur. With the new plastic windows that are much more rigid the wall and the render couldn't move as much and therefore cracked and this is the hairline cracking that the owners was getting concerned about. In this case it was just surface cracking.

 

Action required

 

Cracking to wall

We would recommend that the surface cracks are sealed with a filler that allows for movement (a hard filler would simply fall out sooner or later) and then redecorate. We also recommend that one of the cracks is opened up and the render hacked off, just to check that it doesn't carry on through the brickwork beneath.

 

 

 

 

Please see our other articles on cracking:

Structural Cracking

How, in our experience, Insurance Companies deal with Cracks in Properties

Please see our section on: Specific Defects Reports

If you would like to talk to a chartered surveyor or chartered engineer about any structural problems you may have or require and engineer's report please phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat.

Please note we are independent chartered surveyors.

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).

 

building engineers

 

 

Home Buyers Reports Property Surveys - why we're the best. Engineers Reports
© Copyright 1stAssociated.co.uk
Site Map
Our Beliefs and Values
Property As An Investment Course
Property Courses

Quick Links:

Residential Property Surveying

Advice On Disputes
Asbestos
Basement Conversions
Boundary Disputes
Building Disputes
Building Survey Glossary
Building Surveys or Structural Surveys
Buying and Selling General Information
Chartered Surveyors pt1
Chartered Surveyors pt2
Compare Building Surveys
Compare Home Buyers Reports
Condensation
Cracks in my Wall
Damp in properties
Dampness Defects Report
Definitions of Building terms
Disputes
Dormer Roof Leaking
Engineers Report
Environmental Reports
Estate Agents
Get a Survey Quote
How, in our experience, insurance companies deal with claims
Independant Financial Advisors pt1
Independant Financial Advisors pt2
Insurance Claim
Leaking Dormer Roof
Listed Buildings and Character Properties
Location, Location, Location
Loft Conversions
Mortgage Valuations
Mortgages Aren't they interesting?
Noisy Neighbour - A Different Sort
Parking Dispute
Party Walls
Pre Sales Survey
Property Investors Wanted
Property Refurbishment
Residential Surveys
Shared Freehold and Problems with Damp
Should I buy or sell land?
Specific Defects Reports
Structural Cracking
Structural Report
Structural Surveys
Traditional and Non-Traditional Properties, What are they?
What Is An Independent Survey?
What is my Home Worth?
Why Have One Of Our Surveys?
Why Have a Residential Survey?
Why Use Us?
Why You Have Never Seen any Building Surveys or Structural Surveys Like Ours
 

Commercial Property Surveying

A-Z of Dilapidations
Asbestos
Break Clauses, Are they Worth it?
Building Survey Glossary
Commercial Property, What is a Primary, Secondary or Tertiary Property?
Commercial Surveys
Commercial Survey Forms
Compare Commercial Surveys
Compare Commercial Building Surveys
Commercial - Dealing with Asbestos in Retail Units
Dilaps and Poker Playing
Dilaps Break Clauses
Dilaps Claim
Dilaps Claim by a Landlord
Dilaps More Information
How to read a Dilapidations Schedule
Industrial Commercial Properties - The Asbestos Cement Dilemma
Interim Dilapidations
Landlords
Landlords and Tenants
Landlords can you have too good a tenant?
Landlord's view on a new business taking on a lease
Landlords What Do They Look For?
My First Lease What Should I Do?
Negotiating Dilapidations
Property Report
Schedule of Condition - What should I expect?
Scott's Schedules
Section 18 Valuation
Structural Survey
Tenants
Terminal Schedules of Dilapidations
What is a Schedule of Condition?
Your Lease in Plain English
 

Property Courses

Building Survey Glossary
Buying and Selling Your Property Course:
Course Aim

Dilapidations Courses
Dilapidations Introduction to Surveying Presentation
Dilapidations Overview and Schedules of Condition Presentation

1st Associated Chartered Surveyors Are Also Available in the Following Areas:

South West

Cornwall
Devon
Somerset
Dorset
Wiltshire
Hampshire

South East

Sussex
Surrey
Kent
Essex
Hertfordshire
Middlesex
Berkshire
Oxfordshire
Buckinghamshire
Bedfordshire
 

East

Norfolk
Suffolk

East Midlands

Northamptonshire
Huntingdonshire
Cambridgeshire
Rutland
Leicestershire
Nottinghamshire
Derbyshire

West Midlands

Warwickshire
Staffordshire
Worcestershire

West Country

Gloucestershire
Hereford
Shropshire
 

North East

Cheshire
Lancashire
West Morland
Cumberland

North

Yorkshire

North West

Northumberland
Durham

London

Central London
North London
South London
East London
West London

This firm does not accept service of documents by email or fax