Who to look into issues at new house

[Brindelz]

We had an L3 survey before moving into our house - generally fine, surveyor picked up on some things that were an easy-ish fix but said any floor movement noticed within normal limits for age of house, lintels checked were fine, etc. I spoke to him on the phone after the survey, very friendly and helpful.

We've recently moved in and I've noticed:
-The floor very noticeably moves up and down in one area of the living room (this wasn't covered by any furniture or rugs when we viewed and is near an area of floor staining we asked the surveyor to look at - they said it was condensation/caused be elevated moisture from a pipe issue that would be easily fixed.
-One of the windows has a wavy crack (not very thick but more than hairline) above it where the lintel should be.
-The upstairs floor is very creaky and a bit uneven with minor movement in places.
-There are a few hairline cracks around some windows/ceilings which go down to the wall (I think this is a bad sign?)

I want to get someone in to look at it but unsure if I should call the surveyor who did our survey or get in someone new? Is the original surveyor likely to say it's not an issue to cover themselves? Appreciate any advice!

How old is the house and how recently refurbished etc?

Built between late 50s and early 70s, was refurbished in last 10 years

Older houses do have creaks and movement and a crack isn't always an issue. Is the crack above the lintel in render? Big cracks in bricks are more worrying. A render crack could just have been dislodged when new windows were fitted, could be a patch of loose render....neither of which are catastrophic and can be easily fixed / patched up with no nasty consequences. Subsidence is usually quite obvious....a whole section leaning one way and tale tell cracks through the brick work. For example the front of a house leaning out, a rear tenement in a victorian terrace pulling away, a corner sinking.

Wooden suspended floors can have issues too, I'd be inclined to pull up a few boards and see if you can spit any rotting timbers and damp issues.

If it helps these are the window/lintel pictures - clearly previous owners tried painting over!

Its just the inside directly above the window if that makes sense - outside is covered board recently repainted

That’s unlikely to be subsidence imo - but could be the plasterboard in the ceiling is dropping/moving. Not uncommon on houses that age from what we’ve viewed - you can replace the ceiling or skim over it with plaster. Worth keeping an eye to see if it drops further.

Dud you say there’s been a lot of moisture? I’d wonder if that’s the issue.

I have heard that there can be issues with properties of that age not having lintels as they would have had metal windows, and newer PVC windows (which we have) don't provide the expected support...

TBH I would value the peace of mind of getting someone in even if it's just to tell me all is ok!

The (I think engineered wood) flooring is quite solidly connected so not sure how to get it up. We also have wet underfloor heating so that may be blocking any view of the joists. I'm worried about damaging things so again hoping just to get a professional in.

My big question is whether it's best to go back to our original surveyor or whether a new/independent person would be better?

And no moisture by the window, just back the back door where the floor is springy

Hopeful evening bump :)

You're likely to have to accept damage if you want someone to look at it. No-one can see what's under the floor without lifting the floor to have a look. If you want any surveyor to tell you the condition of the floor joists, that surveyor has to be able to physically access those joists.

The ceiling is very unlikely to be anything serious. Ceilings are just plasterboard or lathe and plaster, attached to joists, with voids in between. By which I mean the ceiling is not structural. A lack of lintel would mean the exterior wall is weak, and it won't cause a crack in a ceiling on its own, the ceiling crack would be secondary after the wall started to move and you'd see the movement and cracks in the wall first.

Hair line cracks are caused by plaster expanding and contracting with seasonal heat and moisture changes, its perfectly normal and almost all houses have them at week points like opening (doors/window).

Structural cracks are quite severe, several cm/inches wide, if its actively bad you will see water damage (first sign, serious but not life threatening) or light through it (if you see light through a crack in a wall you should probably move out until it sorted just in case).

All old suspended floor bounce, it can be fixed but its not 'urgent' more just an annoyance. 'movement' in a floor means its dropped as a result of the walls moving/changing, this is where the floor 'slopes', if you put/drop a round can or bottle etc... and it roll straight towards the outer walls thats likely structural movement.

If your looking for movement other signs can be stuck doors you need to force (although these could also just be badly fitting) or sagging roof. Honestly though structural movement isn't as common as people think it is, can be a nightmare if it happens but its unlikely to happen and most cracks are normal age/contraction related. Nothing you have said would really be a red flag for structural issues.

Cracks are very common from window replacements as the pressure the wall holds changes during the removal and replacement even with props in place. As long as they don't continue to grow and change its fine.

Thanks @Tupster I agree there will likely be some damage by a surveyor, I just don't want to try myself and make even more of a mess of it!

The ceiling crack is directly below the wall + window above if that makes sense, and there's a crack in the wall above from the corner of the window. Annoyingly the vendors polyfillered it though so hard to know how thick it was before. Do you still think it sounds fine?

I will definitely get someone in to look at the floor as it makes the TV wobble when we walk past. Would everyone get the same survyor who did the L3 survey or a new one?

I don't think there's any reason NOT to use your same surveyor. If you found him helpful and friendly that's worth a huge amount, especially if you are looking for reassurance. Another surveyor might look in more detail and give you purely technical answers that aren't really what you need to feel comfortable.

My doubt would be that they would be incentivised to say everything was fine, as they would risk admitting they'd missed something they should have seen on the initial inspection. Maybe I'm overthinking?