I'm worried my house is falling down. Who do I contact?

[RillaBlythe]

okay, bit of an exaggeration, but my house is definitely growing more cracks in the outrigger back bedroom. Don't remember anything being flagged up in the survey when we bought the house last year. Local talk tells me that there were historic issues with subsidence because of a bomb in WW2 (the bomb crater would have been several streets away from us, doubt it would have affected this house). Anyway, I'd like to get it checked out, but who do I ask to do that? We have a v nice builder but I know he is away on another job at the moment & not sure he would be the right person anyway, think I want someone more structural to look it over...?

Get the surveyor back to have a look.

Really? We paid £400ish for the survey, don't really want to pay that again! Are surveyors the people to call though?

Draw lines on the wall either side of the crack and take accurate measurements every month. Do a set as high up on the crack/in the house as you can and one low down. Monitor monthly and record the results for a year. You will probably find (like most london (?)) houses that the rear extension goes up and down through the winter/summer cycle. This is nothing to worry about if it opens and closes on a cycle. You would only need to get soneone else (a structural engineer) involved if it opens and keeps opening. Then you can claim any professional costs against an insurance excess but you should avoid claiming for subsidence unless absolutely necessary as it can put people off buying your house in future.

you can also get a plastic ruler, place it on the wall over the crack, and fasten one end only using small screws into plasplugs. Leave it there, it will not be conspicuous.

then photograph it from time to time. Put a piece of paper (e.g. a post-it) wwith the date on it in the same photo. This will make it easy for you to see if the crack is changing, and by how much over what period. The photos will all show exactly the same piece of wall, and the ruler will clearly show even small changes.

If the back bedroom was an extension built after the house had been put up, it is quite likelyto move separately. Most houses in London that were built prior to 1945 will have moved during the unpleasantness.

If it is an old house, it is likely to have stopped moving long ago, unless something happens to change conditions.

The sort of thing that will make a difference include:

• subsidence due to a leaking pipe or drain washing away the ground under or near the wall

-excavation or building work nearby

-trees sucking water out of the ground

-extensions or conversions putting more weight on the building

p.s.

A experienced local builder will have seen hundreds of houses just like yours, in the same area and built on the same ground, so will usually recognise what is happening.

Your building insurance company?