Clay is not good. Its very prone to long term movements as the water table comes and goes. Also tree roots cam locally shrink it causing local problems.
I am on terminal moraine clay here. They made me go down 8 feet in one area that was close to ash and maple trees. AND line the footings with either loose backfill or polystyrene sheets to absorb 'heave'
Dead right. Everyone here appreciates that it's often better to do things yourself than to pay somebody else to do them for you.
So, wherever possible and legal, do your own *insurance*. Use insurance companies for catastrophes and legal requirements only.
Absolutely.
The point I was making was that whatever people say here, it warrants getting someone out to take a proper look. If it is trivial you'll get the reassurance you need, if it isn't you'll know what you have to do about it. Anything else is really gambling. Will you really trust this to a few well-meaning people (knowledgable or not) who rely on your photographs and description to make a diagnosis?
Paul
I took a case to The Ombudsman a few years back and *sort of* won. What emerged though was that an insurance company has the right to change its mind after agreeing that they will cover the cost of the work. In my case it turned out to exceed the authorisation limit for the local inspector, so the case was passed to the heavy mob (loss adjusters) who rejected the claim. I was compensated for the "inconvenience caused" but the insurance co were found to be "not at fault".
I disagree. There is a whole raft of property services based around FUD's (Fear,Uncertainty,Doubt). By and large the damp industry is. And to some extent the home surveying industry is.
There is sense in surveys before major purchase - mortgage. But surveyors even then don't guarantee that the survey is accurate.
The OP has had very good advice to monitor the crack over some months. The cracking is also minor/very minor (I can't remember the threshold in surveyor-speak - 3mm?). If it's stable - plaster over (if he's wrong and there is still continuing slow movement, then the crack will just reappear). If it's moving - get a builder - a surveyor may tell you why it's cracked - he sure ain't going to fix it.
And that, I think, is what I'll do. The wall in question is only preventing us from looking at the inside of the outer leaf and holding up the wallpaper. If it falls, Management sits nearer it than I!
My sentiments exactly.
Thanks to everyone for their advice/observations, they've been very useful.
Next time they show "Earthquake" on the telly, watch it in another room.. ;-)
Paul
Sadly true.
You could get lucky, as I did. Buyer didn't ask, so I didn't say anything.
:-o
(Got clobbered in other ways, so sleep soundly even so.)
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