Slightly worrying cracks in our walls - who do I need to call in?

[IHeartKingThistle]

We have lots of cracks around the walls and ceilings, especially upstairs. They seem to be spreading

But I don't know who I need to call! A structural engineer? Surveyor? Help! I did suggest googling 'crack man' but not sure that would get me what I need Putting a new bathroom in in the spring but there's no way I'm doing it before we get the cracks seen to!

I would get a surveyor to have a look. Are they vertical cracks? They could be settlement cracks around plasterboard if your house is new?

Some vertical under windows, lots horizontal around ceiling, quite a few diagonal!!!

House is late 70s/early 80s, we've already had to replace 3 of the upstairs walls due to a rotten joist. Builder said the internal walls are made out of two layers of thin breeze blocks rather than one solid breeze block, and they had shifted.

It's not looking good is it? We were so stupid not to get a full structural survey when we bought the house, but we had already paid out for one on a house that fell through and we didn't have any money left!

Oh dear...

Oh dear poor you.

I would recommend getting a structural engineer round.

We are selling our house and our buyer's surveyor noticed cracks in the walls and ceilings. All he did was note the cracks on the survey (he did not say what was causing them) and he recommended that our buyers get a structural engineer round to find the underlying cause. The structural engineer was able to say what was causing the cracks and cost the repair work for us.

Better not to waste your money on a surveyor if all he's going to do is recommend a structural engineer comes out!

I hope that it's not too big a problem, or too costly.

Really? That's great advice - the surveyors have all quoted me over 400 pounds! Right off to google engineers...

Replying a bit late so you may have already sorted this, but we informed our buildings insurance company. They then dealt with it so we didn't have to pay for surveys or anything. However, we did have to pay the insurance excess of course.

Yes - I'd call the insurers first; they'll have their own structural engineers to send round. Our cracks were caused by subsidence caused by long-term leaking drains.

Yep - we had the same sort of thing - cracks horizontal about a foot from the ceiling upstairs and some vertical under windows, down to doorframe, and an occasional diagonal....

Cautionary tale though - we got the insurance in thinking it was the worst (subsidence) we had to pay the subsidence excess of £1000 - they got a survey done and it turned out to be "roof spread" which is not covered under buildings insurance - so just needed some extra roof bracing done by a structural engineer and problem solved (£800)- (well cracks are still there, since we are too blinking lazy to re plaster... but no more since....)