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Question

zx1zx1
edited February 2010 in Chit chat
I've noticed on my living room, bedroom and kitchen walls small, hairline cracks on the plaster (and some in the stonework).
They seem to have appeared sometime in the last few weeks but i only noticed them last night. Does this mean that my flat is going to fall down? Could it be a problem with the foundations? Or is it just the building settling? The building is very old, was built around the 1890's.
Any comments from structural engineers would be welcome!
Post edited by zx1 on
The trouble with tribbles is.......

Comments

  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    zx1 wrote: »
    I've noticed on my living room, bedroom and kitchen walls small, hairline cracks on the plaster (and some in the stonework).
    They seem to have appeared sometime in the last few weeks but i only noticed them last night. Does this mean that my flat is going to fall down? Could it be a problem with the foundations? Or is it just the building settling? The building is very old, was built around the 1890's.
    Any comments from structural engineers would be welcome!

    prolly just getting old, cold weather might have had something to do with it.
  • 1980-20..1980-20..
    edited January 2010
    Id agree with mile the weather is probably to blame, water gets into cracks in the brick work expands when it freezes and makes the cracks bigger.
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    so big that you will be eventually be able to walk through them.
  • Scottie_ukScottie_uk
    edited January 2010
    freddyhard wrote: »
    so big that you will be eventually be able to walk through them.

    Yeah just like this.

    pic47.jpg
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • ArjunArjun
    edited January 2010
    Hairline cracks in the plaster shouldn't be cause for worry - they can happen during cold/hot weather even in a new house. However, I am no engineer. :)
    Zero - A modern Spectrum emulator for Windows.
    Bytes:Chuntey - Spectrum tech blog.
  • zx1zx1
    edited January 2010
    Hmm, thanks for the contributions guys but i'm a bit worried. I think i'll contact the landlord and get someone out to check.
    I've got a guy coming to look at a dampness problem in the hall next friday. I'll show him and see what he says.
    The trouble with tribbles is.......
  • psj3809psj3809
    edited January 2010
    I wouldnt worry, two of my friends moved into brand new houses (yuppies !), 2 years later theres a fair few cracks in the plaster. Theyve had it checked and said its nothing to worry about.

    We've got a few in our house (its an old one) but again its nothing to worry about.
  • Scottie_ukScottie_uk
    edited January 2010
    zx1 wrote: »
    Hmm, thanks for the contributions guys but i'm a bit worried. I think i'll contact the landlord and get someone out to check.
    I've got a guy coming to look at a dampness problem in the hall next friday. I'll show him and see what he says.

    I really would noy worry unless they are growing visibly bigger by the day or week.

    When we have cold winters plaster tends to crack more often, because the difference between the hot and cold temperatures cause it to expand and contract more than usual.

    During the snow of a couple of weeks ago the celing in my backbedroom / office developed a small crack all the way along the coving. This happened because the house was cold for weeks, then we came back from the USA and turned the heating up high. When we did turn the heating on we could hear the whole house going rrick tiick, tick. This I beleive was due to the process of expansion and contraction.
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • ZnorXmanZnorXman
    edited January 2010
    zx1 wrote: »
    I've noticed on my living room, bedroom and kitchen walls small, hairline cracks on the plaster

    This isn't a terrible thing, probably just due to the fluctuations in humidity/temperature.
    zx1 wrote: »
    (and some in the stonework).

    But this might be a cause for concern, especially after 120 years.

    ZnorXman,
    Currently Not An Engineer.
  • frobushfrobush
    edited January 2010
    I'll fix your plastering for you! Bish, bash, bosh! ?50, all in.

    I can also get hold for a load of woodchip or anaglypta wallpaper. Dead cheap like.
  • grey keygrey key
    edited January 2010
    frobush wrote: »
    I'll fix your plastering for you! Bish, bash, bosh! ?50, all in.

    I can also get hold for a load of woodchip or anaglypta wallpaper. Dead cheap like.

    What no flock paper, like in the Indian resturants ?
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • frobushfrobush
    edited January 2010
    grey key wrote: »
    What no flock paper, like in the Indian resturants ?

    I can paint flocks on it for you - but that would be an extra ?25, tops.

    EDIT - I've got a shed load of 'Action Man' wallpaper you can have cheap, ?40, but you'll have to take the lot. It doesn't look too bad if you have dim lighting in the room. Great for kids!
  • grey keygrey key
    edited January 2010
    Slap it on E-Bay, it must be collectable and R@@E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................L@@K !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • deadpan666deadpan666
    edited January 2010
    Yeah...wall cracks are nothing to worry about...

    ..unless they start to resemble faces like that bit in Silent Hill 4...

    :eek:
    The Black Cauldron (PC)
  • grey keygrey key
    edited February 2010
    Yeh, but butt-cracks are another matter............
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • zx1zx1
    edited February 2010
    psj3809 wrote: »
    I wouldnt worry, two of my friends moved into brand new houses (yuppies !), 2 years later theres a fair few cracks in the plaster. Theyve had it checked and said its nothing to worry about.

    We've got a few in our house (its an old one) but again its nothing to worry about.

    Cracks in the plaster of new houses is very common, it's caused i think by the foundations settling.
    It's the cracks in the stonework that are a concern, even though they are only hairline and you can only really see them when you are close up to them, is worrying. I might as a neighbour to see if they're having any problems.
    The trouble with tribbles is.......
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