due to complete, crack has appeared in wall... what to do?

[drivingmecrackers]

nightmare, we are due to complete on our flat in a month's time, and the other day we noticed a crack in the wall of DC's bedroom. We have a skylight which was leaking but we (thought we) had it fixed before exchanging but had heavy rain last week and it seems that the crack is due to some water still coming through - it's not dripping on the carpet but there are some small brown marks that must mean the leak is still there. What do we do? Friends have said not to do anything especially as nothing came up in the survey, but I feel bad, I'm sure the crack wasn't there before. Obviously I don't want to pay to have it fixed again bec we are moving out plus they got a huge chunk off the asking price. I don't feel like I want to cover it up either as that seems deceitful..
what do you think?
thanks

[PestoMonster]

I think you should fix it.

[mrsmaidamess]

fill it and paint over it.

[LikerabbitsBX]

Yes just fill it and paint over. Most cracks are superficial really. Just use a good quality filler and paint.

You are not being decietful in doing this, if you asked a builder they woudl do the same thing, as mentioned many cracks are superficial and due to moving things around, weather conditions etc.

[drivingmecrackers]

really pesto? time is not on our side and i don't know how big a problem it is & how much it will cost

mrsmaidamess i almost feel worse filling it and painting it than leaving it. at least if we leave it we're not hiding anything and could at least defend ourselves with 'well it didn't come up in the survey' .

[drivingmecrackers]

rabbits that's made me feel a bit better. i hope it's superficial, i'm just having nightmare about filling it, they move in and the whole roof falls on top of them!
to give you more of an idea the crack is about 10cm long and about 1mm wide (maybe 1.2mm)

[SausageRoleModel]

why dont you fill it but tell them after you've completed. Then not only have you done a good deed (cos you didnt need to fix it) and your conscience is clear. play it down so you dont panic them but just tell them to keep an eye on the area.

[LikerabbitsBX]

Have you been in and out of the loft a lot more lately? If so then it is just probably movement of plaster. This can happen if the plastered wall was not skimmed on a solid even surface. Or perhaps the wall the crakc has appeared on is a stud wall? If it is a stud wall what floor does it sit on. If is is a floating floor ie. laminate then movement could have happened due to the wall not properly being fitted to the floor. The crack to me sounds like movement of plaster. If this is the case honestly hun just fill it. If it is a solid wall, it will not 'just fall down', when it was originaly put up it had to hold the house so a little crack will not bring the wall down. A solid wall has layers of brick, bonding plasterboard, plaster etc. If a stud wall this is even less to worry about as it is not holding anything and will not just fall down either as it has timber framwork and plaster board which is held in place by bonding and plaster and screws.

If this wall is something more serious it WOULD have come up in the survey. What you would be doing is maitenence to a badly plastered wall. That is it. Filling is your best option. If this was to do with something more serious and would make a wall fall down then it would not have passed survey. If any problem is there then it is very very very unlikely anything bad will happen within the next 10 years. Crack come in walls all the time, since you have just had a survey and passed. Please hun dont worry just fill and paint.

Fill it first so it appears lumpy on the wall. Let it dry overnight then get some sand paper sand it down so it is flush with wall and paint over.

You are probably doing them a favour as they may not even notice the crack if you did nothing. Then they would live with the crack without maintaining it. At least you ae maintaining the crack for them.

[wombleprincess]

just leave it, paint if you feel you must. thats life i am afraid

[drivingmecrackers]

No we've hardly been upstairs at all which is why it must be due to the rain. I think it's a stud wall (part of loft conversion), and actually it's not a whole wall it's above the door frame. Above it a hatch that opens out onto a fire escape/roof terrace

[noddyholder]

Fix it definitely

[drivingmecrackers]

really noddy? as in pay for builders come in and potentially have to take the whole roof off? (obviously worst case scenario)

[AitchTwoOh]

where is the rain coming in? the skylight? you should fix that, then just do a wee cosmetic repair.

[noddyholder]

If it is so bad that the roof needs to come off the surveyor should have spotted it.I mean fix leak re plaster and paint.

[drivingmecrackers]

yes, we were told the seal on the skylight needed fixing or maybe the wind was blowing the rain underneath. we had a heavy duty rubber seal put around the first set of tiles that surrounds the hatch.
phew noddy you had me worried there. I think you're right the surveyor would have spotted it if there was something wrong, & he seemed very thorough

[barbarapym]

Really don't worry - it's tiny - a surveyor would call that a hairline crack. It's nothing to worry about. All houses have them. Filling and painting is fixing where cracks are concerned. (The ones you need to worry about are cracks visible and getting bigger on the brickwork outside!)

[AitchTwoOh]

that can happen, we've got a leak at our front bay that only happens when the wind is blowing from a certain direction at a certain speed etc. once every three years, it pisses through.

[drivingmecrackers]

thanks everyone, feeling a bit calmer about it now. May call builder & see if he can put second coat of rubber seal on as first obviously not working properly, then will fill in crack and paint over (not sure if we have any of the paint left though...)