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Restoration & Refurbishment

Is our house falling down or settling after being knocked about?

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.06 PM

We are renovating a 1900's semi that has been completely empty for a year. We have had to brace the roof inside the loft (surveyors advice) and have knocked all the plaster off of the walls and ceilings upstairs .. the wall and ceiling timbers have not been taken out but have been added too where necessary. We are slightly worried that the house is moving a bit too much as today we could not close the front door and there are cracks in the plaster left on the outside walls. Have we caused spreading with our roof bracing? Or is the house just adjusting to all the harsh knocking down we are doing?

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4 Answers

Buckland Builders

Rating: 5 out of 5

Radstock

Hi, wow sounds serious if I was you I would get a structural engineer to take a look as soon as possible!, has any load bearing walls been taken out? Roof bracing would only help the structural integrity of the house. With out looking at the house I would say that someone has removed a supporting wall causing stress to crack and move your main structural walls which could be vary expensive to fix? Get engineer to look as soon as possible. Good luck

Answered21 December 2019

Anonymous user

Hi, removing ceiling timbers can cause spreading which will certainly cause the outer walls to crack through stress. The ceiling spars brace the roof apex without these the weight of the roof will put pressure on the wall plate causing spreading. As one of the other builders mentions get a structural engineer out ASAP to make a plan going forward. Regards, Gareth

Answered23 December 2019

Anonymous user

I would suspect that the two previous answers are correct. If it were subsidence it would have manifested itself long before now unless some excavation has been done near the foundations.

Answered23 December 2019

Mike gillard carpentry

Rating: 5 out of 5

Barry

Structual engineer survey required

Answered25 December 2019