Cracks in my 1930’s home...:

[Dickorydockwhatthe]

We’ve just moved into out 1930’s dream house, however before we moved in it had been vacant for a month and we have noticed around the chimney breast when we moved in downstairs it was very damp causing the plaster to crumble in places. We also have noticed some cracks here and there but particularly in our internal bedroom wall where there was a long horizontal crack. Again when we moved in the outside wall felt very cold, damp/wet as no one had been living in it and think some of the render had blown on the external wall. Since moving in and heating the house its not wet but still feels cold. We did a basic survey but it didn’t mention subsidence or anything. Im really worried about the cost of repairing all of this.

Did you have a survey, or just a valuation for your mortgage? Do you have any paperwork from the survey? If so what does it say about these things?
Difficult to say without a pic, but damp round a chimney breast is often because the lead (or concrete) flashing has failed. If you are somewhere that's had all the torrential rain, you can be sure this will find out any weak spots in the structure. You really need to get a builder in to have a look. It is unlikely to be subsidence, surely even that would be picked up on a cursory survey.

We just had a basic survey they did note the crack but no reference to subsidence and damp in the dining room. We have chimney stacks downstairs that go into one if that makes sense upstairs. There are cracks all over the house really but I guess thats age. Just wondering who to call out to check 😞

The wet chimney breast can be due to flashing around the chimney or cracks in the crown. Get someone to check it. We had it. Couple of hundred quid and all is sorted and chimney is now drying out.

Tiny cracks are normal and just because of houses moving seasonally, old houses had that flexibility but where modern plasters and cements have been used subsequently to get a smooth finish, they fail in more obvious looking cracks.
As long as the cracks are only a millimetre or two and don't get worse over time then it's not a worry.

I feel it's unlikely to be subsidence in a 1930s house - it's been there nearly 90 years, any subsidence would have happened long ago.

Ok firstly, go back to the people who carried out the survey, let them know you have an issue and why was it not identified. Even if you bought the cheapest service (Condition Report) a damp meter should have been used.

Secondly, the damp on the chimney can be several things or all of them. Loose flashing or cracks in stack, as noted above.

However, it could also easily be the fact that the building has been left cold and unvented with no cowl on the chimney. This will let rainwater down the flue without any ventilation or heat to keep it dry.

It could also be a salt damp issue, where burning fossil fuels produce salts that collect on the plaster surface and attract moisture.

None of these should be too expensive to fix but get it checked out.

As for the cracks, you will always like get small cracks in any building. It's only when they get larger, or progressive do they become and issue. That's not to say that it can't be structural movement, that can happen on a 1930's property as any, but usually if there's trees nearby or a drain issue. Again, get it checked by a Chartered Surveyor.

Thank you my husband thinks I am noticing them more but there are definitely more cracks there not sure if its due the house being cold and the hot with the heating. They are long cracks but now wide. It would be typical of my luck to buy a house and fall it to fall down