Cracks in the wall - serious?

1stTimeNewbie · 2021-11-29T15:24:49+00:00

So we are buying a 1900s house which was recently renovated. We did 2 viewings with 1 month part and on the 2nd time, we noticed a thin long vertical crack that appears to start from the toilet below the stairs and also visible on the 1st floor.. I attached some photos [[https://imgur.com/a/PQGTTon]] the crack appears quite thin but the length is what worries me.. More information: it is a terraced renovated house and noone lives there for 6+ months .. it is between 2 other houses which are occupied.

Bagelsandbrie · 29/11/2021 15:37

What’s on the other side of the walls? Can you see a crack on the outside? If not I wouldn’t be too worried and would put it down to recently renovating and plaster movement - it happens a lot in older houses. It’s annoying but if you give it a few months and fill the crack in and re paint it should be okay. Obviously any good survey you get should flag up anything really worrying.

Loudestcat14 · 29/11/2021 15:47

We bought a house from the same era and renovated it, so all the walls were newly plaster-boarded and plastered. We now have hairline cracks exactly like this one and it's just movement from the house settling after having some walls take down and RSJs fitted. Apparently you should only worry about cracks if you can get a fingertip in them!

Livelifeinthebuslane · 29/11/2021 15:58

Hmm, that it's not a straight line may indicate some uneven movement. Subsidence cracks are usually diagonal and wider at the top. Although it's only a thin line I think I'd like to reassure myself that there isn't a wider problem and get a full survey if I went ahead. What sort of ground is it on? Any other obvious things that may have caused the house to move, e.g. trees?

Original poster

1stTimeNewbie · 29/11/2021 16:47

@Bagelsandbrie

What’s on the other side of the walls? Can you see a crack on the outside? If not I wouldn’t be too worried and would put it down to recently renovating and plaster movement - it happens a lot in older houses. It’s annoying but if you give it a few months and fill the crack in and re paint it should be okay. Obviously any good survey you get should flag up anything really worrying.

from the other side of the wall, there is another house. I will arrange a structural survey to check it out just to be sure

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Original poster

1stTimeNewbie · 29/11/2021 16:52

@Livelifeinthebuslane

Hmm, that it's not a straight line may indicate some uneven movement. Subsidence cracks are usually diagonal and wider at the top. Although it's only a thin line I think I'd like to reassure myself that there isn't a wider problem and get a full survey if I went ahead. What sort of ground is it on? Any other obvious things that may have caused the house to move, e.g. trees?

re ground: moderate-high Natural ground subsidence (which half of london is apparently) ... there are no trees ..it is part of terraced houses and no other indication of ground movement

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AutumnAnn · 29/11/2021 17:13

Our 1900s terraced house has cracks just like this, we've had two separate companies look at them and it's apparently completely normal so I'm not overly worried, just keep an eye on it

Original poster

1stTimeNewbie · 30/11/2021 11:20

I am booking a survey and hopefully i can get a better view..
does anyone know if they surveyor can go to the property next door to see if the cracks also appear on their side?

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starfishmummy · 30/11/2021 11:27

@1stTimeNewbie

I am booking a survey and hopefully i can get a better view.. does anyone know if they surveyor can go to the property next door to see if the cracks also appear on their side?

You could ask the occupants of the neighbouring house if they are willing but they are not obliged to agree.