Subsidence!

[Greenyogagirl]

My rented house is cracking, I've been here a year and the past two weeks it's cracked all over, 4mm wide cracks, some small holes in the cracks and two floorboards have dipped into a V shape. All doors have cracked all around and stick/don't close it seems to have happened really quickly.
Anyway I was hoping someone could let me know the process of what will happen? My landlady is coming to have a look Thursday and will ring the builder, I'm feeling really anxious about it.

They might choose to monitor it (using a structural engineer) or do something now, or just leave it depending on what it is and what's caused it. For instance, if there is a burst main nearby (not that I'm saying there is!), it could be waiting for it to be fixed and then doing cosmetic repairs.
Treatment could involve piling or underpinning, depending on the cause of it if it is subsidence, or the opposite, heave.
You'll just have to wait and see what's said, sorry.

Thank you x
So I'll be able to stay here while they do stuff (if they need to)? X

If piling, no - but that is unusual.
Underpinning, yes, but it will be noisy!

There is a great product called uretek that is basically an expanding foam that you can pump into the ground that can be used to re-level buildings. Very quick if it is suitable (depends on types of soil).

Thank you so much! My biggest fear is that I would have to move out (even just for a bit!) closely followed by the wall falling down and leaving my bedroom exposed

Greenyogagirl, you would be amazed how much strictures can take and still stand - in my first house, we heard a noise and a horizontal crack had appeared all the way across a load-bearing wall, and the garage wall was cracked so badly you could push on the top section and it would swing gently back and forth. Nothing ever fell down though!

Oh, hell, structures.

How sure are you that no alterations have been made to the house, such as removing walls or chimneybreasts, or converting the loft, without Building Regulations approval?

Is it subsiding at ground level?

That makes me feel a lot happier mine!
Piglet I have no idea, I looked around, signed a basic tenancy agreement. It's a semi detached house and it's worse upstairs on the side not attached to a neighbour.

It would be very rare for a building to fall down due to subsidence. 4mm is pretty wide for cracks though, and for them to develop over a couple of weeks is pretty quick too. Your landlady doesn't need a builder, she needs a structural engineer, probably arranged through her building insurer.

Are you in an old coal mining area? If you are get straight on the phone to the Coal Authority they will come out and make it safe no need to go through landlord.

Subsidence is usually covered by building insurance, so it would be strange not to call in the insurers and let them send an engineer or surveyor, at their expense.

She is coming today, I think just to see if how bad it is and make sure it's not cosmetic. I don't know the protocol but I assume the builder will tell her to contact the insurance company?
Not a coal mining area, no trees or anything either.
Thanks all

The protocol is that sudden cracks have developed in the house and she needs to know why. A builder, however experienced, is not qualified to make that judgment. As has been said, she should have buildings insurance, and if she gets in touch with them they should send out someone who does know what they are doing to assess it.

Well she had a look and told me to polyfil the cracks. I'll keep an eye on them and if they get worse/reappear I'll contact her again. Bit of a let down after so much worrying!

" two floorboards have dipped into a V shape."

It might be very interesting if you can show pics of the floor, and of the ceiling underneath this dip.

Well she had a look and told me to polyfil the cracks.

You rent no? Tell her to polyfil the cracks!

I wouldn't dare yello! Also not sure how to polyfil the cracks in the outside bricks but hopefully one day it will be sorted!