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Groundwork & Foundations

If you saw SERIOUS cracks in a house would you say they were NOT due to subsidence?

Anonymous user 23 February 2024 - 2.36 PM

I found a small crack between my wall and coving last year, then it got bigger and there were reasonably big cracks along the ceilings on both floors of my house. Not only along the walls but down the walls in the corners, by the door frames and windows. Not forgetting my FAVOURITE one which is behind the MAINS board. I have been told these are not due to subsidence, even though some of these have appeared over the period between September and now. There are no visible cracks on the outside by outer wall is pulling away from the inner wall by my front door. So this surely can not be a figment of my imagination, and is more than just changes in room temperature.

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11 Answers

Anonymous user

Hi fedup, (cheer up!) I presume a structual engineer/surveyor has told you that you haven't got subsidence? If not and you are really worried? I suggest you call a surveyor/structual engineer to come and take a look.. Room temperature only needs to be a couple of degrees warmer and cracks will appear. Especially in damp weather and especially around the perimeter of a room at ceiling level(where it's warmest) corners of rooms... Floor's, Door frame's, window's, skirting's and staircases all shrink causing cracks. Have you had your heating on since September time? The dryer the room become's, the bigger the crack's will grow...it sounds like normal shrinkage/movement to me, except for your front door wall.. kind regards Mark
Answered9 January 2012
20

Anonymous user

Who told you that its not subsidence, ? You need a Structural engineer to check it all out.
Answered8 January 2012
19

Anonymous user

sounds like a problem to me, get a strucural survey done asap, may not be subsidance,, you may have to pay for this but might save you a fortune of chaseing possible problems good luck
Answered8 January 2012
17

Roc builders
Rating: 5 out of 55516 reviews
Harlow
Who gave you the all clear? Things like this need to be VIEWED by a structural expert for peace of mind.Builders etc can give you an opinion but are not usually qualified to tell you for sure what is causing these cracks.They may be superficial but you will always worry unless you have a professional give you the all clear.
Answered8 January 2012
16

Nick Teague building services
Rating: 5 out of 5552 reviews
Bury
To me i would say the symptoms are subsidence sounds to me like the foundation is incorrectly designed/failing. I would seek advice off a structural engineer for this.
Answered8 January 2012
15

Anonymous user

you need a structual engineer to come and have a look
Answered8 January 2012
13

Anonymous user

They all sound like normal settlement cracks... so don't worry your house isn't falling down.
Answered8 January 2012
12

ABM plastering
Rating: 5 out of 555156 reviews
Diss
If the inner wall is coming away from the outer I would seriously recommend you get a structural surveyor in to take a look.
Answered8 January 2012
12

Anonymous user

i would contact a structural engineer for their opinion
Answered8 January 2012
11

HD Design and Build
Rating: 5 out of 55519 reviews
Herne Bay
who has told you it is not subsidence? You Need to pay a reputable surveyor to do a structural survey
Answered8 January 2012
10

Phoenix Specialist Contractors Limited
Rating: 5 out of 5558 reviews
Dunstable
As other posts have suggested, get the advice of a properly qualified Structural Engineer. The Institution of Structural Engineers - www.istructe.org will have a list of their members in your area. The problem might just be a superficial one, but it pays to have peace of mind. Alternatively post a job on here in the Architectural services section. Hope everything works out for you. Kind regards Damon Smith DS Interior Services Limited
Answered16 January 2012
9