Just Plaster Cracking or Structural Damage?

Stinkah

In recent months I've noticed that some cracks have started to appear in the plaster of some rooms in our house.

The house was completed in 2007 and was built from scratch as a one off Dormer Bungalow.

I've heard differing opinions on whether these cracks are just the "house settling" or worryingly that it might be structural damage or deficiency.

What I would like to do is ask some opinion from yourselves to see what you thought. I've attached a picture of the corner of a room downstairs. The left side is an exterior wall and the right side is a room dividing wall.

Thanks in advance for your comments and assistance.

Yours worryingly!

FesterBeatty

Do you know if the walls are masonry or timber? Or perhaps one of each which would lead to greater rates of differential thermal movement? Is one (or both) walls part of an extension? Are these cracks only recently evident? Are there any other significant cracks apparent in the structure/finishes? Did you build the house yourself & was there a structural engineer involved? In a one off house it's' likely that an engineer was involved and I'm sure he would be happy to inspect?

Its very difficult to say without seeing it, but they appear to be somewhat significant from the photograph.

Unfortunately the right answer won't be found on an internet forum so I would contact a structural engineer for an opinion/report/recommendations etc. You're welcome to PM me if you wish.

mickdw

Thats more than a plaster crack however we would need to know what the construction type is.
It appears that the dividing wall is not tied in at all or if it is tied in, I feel it has failed structurally.
If however the dividing wall is a non structural partition, well, it may not be so serious but would still need remedial works.
For a new build, the line where wall meets ceiling looks terribly curved and rough althoough it might just be the paint work.

stephentbb2000

Do you have homebond insurance, if so request a visit or recall the engineer who oversaw the build. If you can not do the above request a visit from a sturctural Eng.

Hopefully its poor palster work or some settlement but to ease your anxiety get it checked.

session savage

Not sure about all this but if work needs to be done I presume your builder was home bonded. If he was then your covered there for 5 years I think. Again, not 100% but worth checking out.

heinbloed

The center of the structure is giving in, hence the difference of width of the crack, zero mm at bottom and plenty at the top.

Contact a civil engineer. It might be harmless, it might be structural.

The plastering is shoddy b.t.w., to say the least. There should be a re-inforcement strip going down the corner.

brendankelly

Heinbloed is correct.
shoddy plastering. It was probably done for 500 euros less than a real plasterers price. But the plaster is not cracked and even if he had used scrim this crack would appear. My guess is that the chippy tried to save money by not using enough nails.

sydthebeat

a few questions...

1. is the photo turned through 90 deg?
2. is it showing the junction of an internal and external wall?
3. is the internal wall a timber stud?


if so... (ie a stud internal meeting a masonry external) then..

its a plastering crack, not a structural issue.
the carpenter did not secure the final stud sufficiently to the blockwork, thus when the house heated up the timberwork shrunk and the final stud was pulled towards the internal due to the fixings.

hard to completely blame the plasterer! yes, a mesh could have been used, but the severity of that crack would say to me that it wouldnt have worked anyway. IMO its the carpenters fault for not fixing the stud securely to the blockwork.

IF its two block walls meeting together then thats another story entirely.

brendankelly

The crack been wider on the top than on the bottom is worrying