Thermal movement
Discussion
Just in the process of buying a house and noticed some pretty large cracks running from the corner of the window diagonally to the floor and ceiling on the first floor and then from the corner of the window to the ceiling on the ground floor. Initial thoughts were subsidence but had a full survey done by a structural engineer. He said it was nothing to worry about and caused by thermal movement on the wall which could simply have silicone injected into it and replastered over.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? The cracks are quite big (at one stage you can see feel air through to the outside!)but the surveyor has been absolutely clear in his report that it was not structural, heave or subsidence.
Should I be worried? The sellers have been in the house from new and say the crack has been there as long as they remember.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? The cracks are quite big (at one stage you can see feel air through to the outside!)but the surveyor has been absolutely clear in his report that it was not structural, heave or subsidence.
Should I be worried? The sellers have been in the house from new and say the crack has been there as long as they remember.
Well it is pretty common, but sounds like quite an extreme case. If it is just cracks and there is no noticeable dropping at the head or cill of the windows, and no real distortion of the orifices out of square - all the windows/doors work smoothly, he's probably right. You could get a second opinion on just this issue for not much cost to put your mind at rest. If he is properly qualified/registered you should be covered by his professional insurance if he proves to be wrong in the future.
Well yes! I just wondered if anyone had seen this before. As I said the surveyor was completely clear in his report that it was not anything to be worried about. He said that the bricks had expanded and contracted over time and because there wasn't proper expansion gaps built in the crack developed at the weakest point (corner of the window).
So who are you going to believe, a qualified Structural engineer and surveyor who you've paid for his expertise,who's given you a written report and opinion and who carries personal liability insurance, or some bloke off the web?
Hang on let me give this some serious consideration before I decide who's advice to take.
Hang on let me give this some serious consideration before I decide who's advice to take.
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