Cracks to ceiling

[Creamegg11]

The crack to my kitchen ceiling and wall appeared five years ago which has gradually become worse as shown in photos.

Walls, I think are timber and plasterboard as it’s a converted flat. Hasn’t been plastered or decorated in the last seven years. Would you say the cracks are structural or comestic please? Just don’t know who I need to resolve the issue. Thanks

What’s above the crack? A wall? Stairs?

It’s the loft. It’s a Victorian flat conversion, I’m upstairs and there’s a flat downstairs.

If her those looked at by a surveyor - if they were narrower, perfectly straight and uniform it would likely be a poor joint between plasterboard panels and the tape and fill joints being omitted. Those cracks look jagged and, particularly close to the door frame, as though they run diagonally in places which can indicate subsidence.

If her = I’d get.

Have you spoken to your neighbours below? To see if they also have cracks in similar locations.

It looks like a subsidence crack. Which is quite common in old-ish properties and nothing to worry about. I had this in my kitchen.

Although unsightly, your ceiling is unlikely to collapse in my opinion.

The cracks need cleaning out, filling, rubbing down and painted over. It really is all you can do, besides having the entire ceiling taken down and re-done.

If when the cracks are filled, they open up again, then the subsidence could be serious - how serious is hard to tell. Probably not urgent. But at that point you'll have no choice but to take the ceiling down and start again because it will collapse at some point. If it gets worse, call a surveyor or a structural engineer and get them to take a look. They aren't too expensive as it'll just take a few minutes for them to check it out. I called in a surveyor and he was quite relaxed about it. He said it was nothing to worry about. We filled the cracks and they're fine now though one has opened up again - very slightly.

For now though - I suggest you just fill the cracks, get them repainted and see what happens.

Best of luck

Thanks. Should I contact the insurers so they can get one of their people to check whether it’s serious or what the problem could be before getting a decorator in?

If the cracks only appeared in the last five years and have been gradually worsening, that would indicate current subsidence. Filling them in and overpainting isn’t going to resolve the problem, and it’s better (and cheaper) to catch it early and put it right than to leave it until it requires more difficult measures. (And I’m the queen of temporary fixes and hoping the problem will go away, even I’d get it looked at!)

I wouldn’t contact the insurance at this stage, if only because once you’ve made them aware of suspected subsidence, I believe you have to declare it even if was found not to be the case - though somebody else may be able to confirm whether that’s still correct or not. I’d have an independent surveyor in first and then liaise with insurance depending on the findings.

Subsidence isn’t necessarily as terrifying as it sounds btw, and is generally easily put right. Buildings do settle after being built and the type of earth in your area can also make buildings more prone to slight subsidence. The cracks you have are relatively mild, I doubt your flat is going to topple off into the street anytime soon!

Thank you. What type of surveyor do I need? Is it the same as a structural engineer? So I know who to google.
Any recommendations? I’m in London.

Chartered surveyor. What part of London are you in?

Have a very close look on the outside of the building to see if you can see any cracks . If not then, I’d say the cracks are something internal to do with when it was converted. Maybe they moved a wall or something or replaced joists with smaller timbers ??? You could fill them and redecorate then it would be easier to spot if it gets any bigger . But if there are no signs on the outside I’d say it doesn’t look serious.

@Chumleymouse

Have a very close look on the outside of the building to see if you can see any cracks . If not then, I’d say the cracks are something internal to do with when it was converted. Maybe they moved a wall or something or replaced joists with smaller timbers ??? You could fill them and redecorate then it would be easier to spot if it gets any bigger . But if there are no signs on the outside I’d say it doesn’t look serious.

Yes, I second that. That was the case with our place, you've reminded me. No cracks outside just inside.

My ex filled them and re decorated and to this day [6 years on] they're fine. Though one crack has opened up ever so slightly...

We had a crack like that, it was caused by the upper floor joists where two were placed next to each other and flexing. The problem was added to by the plasterboard join running at the same join as the joists.
Fixing was simple, but a bit of a faff. The plasterboard was cut out a strip long the joists. They were braced so they no longer flexed, new plasterboard was fixed spanning the joist join, then patch plastered.

The only reason I asked what part of London are you in? Is because I can recommend an excellent chartered surveyor and all round very nice bloke who came to look at our place for us. He tends to stay in West London mainly though.

The cracks are in very straight lines.

Pretty sure to be the joints between sheets of plasterboard that are moving separately. This is common with poor quality work. plasterboard sheets are about 8ft x 4ft and cracks are often of that length, and that far apart.

Plasterboard was not used in Victorian builds so it must be part of later conversion or refurbishment. Do you have any opinion on the quality of work?

Is it a loft above you; or a loft conversion? if a conversion, do you have reason to believe it was compliant with Building Regulations and the timbers were reinforced to make a habitable room?

Subsidence cracks would be visible in the walls.

Chartered Structural Engineer is not the same as a Chartered Surveyor. In medical terms it would be GP vs Consultant who is a specialist. These cracks are not too bad and might indicate differential settlement. One side of the building is settling and moving away from the other side, hence the cracks. Whether a surveyor will instigate correcting work is another matter. Probably defer to a Chartered Engineer!!