Concerned about a few external/internal cracks - who exactly do I contact?

C

Caveat

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Buildings engineer? Surveyor? Structural engineer?

I've heard that there can be a lot of terminology blurring here - e.g. a 'house report' (or similarly worded) is next to useless.

So what exactly do I ask them to do and how much approx should it cost?

Basically I need to be told with relative certainty once and for all that either there isn't a problem (I hope) or there is, and we need to do xyz.

Thanks
 
If it's a new home, ask the builder to inspect the cracks and if you're not happy with the report, then contact Homebond/Premier Guarantee (whoever issued the structural warranty on the dwelling) and ask them to make an inspection
 
Thanks but no, not a new home - about 25 years old. We've been in it about 2.5 years.
 
I have a similar problem (house even older - over 100 years, but thankfully still standing, which I'm taking as a good sign:) I had considered getting a thorough survey on my own place to see if that throws up anything. I only got a basic one when I bought so was considering paying 400/500 to get a proper one and work from there. I'm interested to see other replies here too.
 
Caveat, did you not get any survey done before buying the house 2.5 years ago? Were the cracks visible than?
 
Jetblue said:
Caveat, did you not get any survey done before buying the house 2.5 years ago? Were the cracks visible than?
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Kind of. An engineer friend had a look at the house and didn't think there was anything to worry about. Cracks were there but, (and it could be my imagination) they seem to be a bit worse now.

mathepac said:
You need to contact a structural engineer to have a full structural survey done.
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Any idea of cost? 4 bed 2 reception bungalow if it is important.
 
Caveat said:
... Any idea of cost? 4 bed 2 reception bungalow if it is important.
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Sorry I can't help there as TG (fingers etc. crossed) I've never had to have one done and but my understanding is that each structural survey is to an extent 'bespoke'.

Your engineering friend may be able to help you with a cost estimate.

Are you convinced there are not just settlement / drying cracks in the surface plaster? Its fairly easy to figure out, just scrape out some of the plaster with something like a masonry nail and see if the block behind is broken or cracked. You'll need to enlarge the cracks slightly to fill and paint them anyway.

I hope its only cosmetic.
 
mathepac said:
Are you convinced there are not just settlement / drying cracks in the surface plaster? Its fairly easy to figure out, just scrape out some of the plaster with something like a masonry nail and see if the block behind is broken or cracked. You'll need to enlarge the cracks slightly to fill and paint them anyway.
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Thanks mathepac.

Re settlement cracks, well AFAIK the walls have not been recently plastered so if (and it is an 'if') the cracks are worse than when we moved in, I would doubt that it is this.

Never thought of scraping away plaster. So put it this way - in your (maybe humble?) opinion, if the blocks aren't damaged is there probably nothing to worry about?

Will talk to my engineer friend again - maybe I'm just being paranoid.
 
If its only a plaster crack in one place, it doesn't necessarily follow that they are all the same. Maybe for peace of mind you need to have the engineer in anyway. (Humble opinion - who me ? :D)
 
hey caveat,
how did you get on.I have a similar issue with my gable end house where there is visible cracking....not sure to what extend. Bought 2 years ago and the house is 100yrs old. Did you get an engineer in??
Can anyone recommend one for the cork area?

Hope its only asthetic!
 
We got a structural engineer to look at cracks, was very worried but as its a bungelow and not upstairs, he felt no work was needed.

Did not cost very much and worth it for peace of mind.

I understand that if it had to be done, it was covered by house insurance anyway
 
alby said:
hey caveat,
how did you get on ... Did you get an engineer in??
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No, not yet - will be inviting the engineer guy that I know out soon and hopefully he can have a good look while he is there.

sue97 said:
We got a structural engineer to look at cracks, was very worried but as its a bungelow and not upstairs, he felt no work was needed.

Did not cost very much and worth it for peace of mind.

I understand that if it had to be done, it was covered by house insurance anyway
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Good result Sue - sounds promising.
 
"Cracks were there but, (and it could be my imagination) they seem to be a bit worse now."

It could well be your imagination. An easy and cheap way to set your mind at rest ( on the issue of whether or not the crack is getting bigger) is to affix "tell-tale" strips to the crack. You can make these yourself from any convenient piece of light sheet metal. You simply screw two strips of metal onto a wall, each fixed on opposing sides of the crack ( two or three screws - each piece must be very securely fixed), parallel to and touching each other. Then you make a scratch across the two pieces. If the walls move, the scratch will move from being a continuous line to being an interrupted line.


This is not to discount the value of getting in an engineer. There are some cracks which an expert will only have to look at to identify as 'probably harmless' ( or, indeed 'probably serious' ).

Link to interesting article which may lend some perspective: http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/movement/movement.htm
 
Thanks MOB - worth trying what you say anyway regardless of what my friend says. The link is a bit reassuring too!
 
Doubt if you have a problem though. Alternate and possibly easier telltale is epoxy glass slides glued across the cracks. If glass cracks you need to address . Your engineer could advise where to source glass and suitable epoxy
 
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