Cracks in walls?

[R D S]

When it was freezing cold over winter I noted that our back doors were catching, but they've since sorted themselves out. I'm aware that's not unusual.

Recently I've noticed a crack in some plaster above the bathroom window, similar above a bedroom door and there's a small gap between the wall and the some of the skirting on the stairs. Only a mm or two but there's definitely things shifting.

I'm hoping it's climate or coincidence but we had a downstairs wall out* a couple of years ago and it's making me paranoid!

Talk to me about your cracks and hopefully put my mind at rest.

*Load bearing wall, 2 rooms into one done by a builder and a concrete lintel put in that's sitting on one skin of brick of the internal wall.

[R D S]

115 year old terrace, probably worth mentioning.

[Mike Halmarack]

My previous gaff was an old cottage, throughout the seasons cracks would open up and close like rosebuds. In lockdown it would've been a good way of estimating what time of the year it was without getting out of bed.

[newshound]

Yes indeed. That means it won't have concrete foundations to "modern" spec. I'm assuming you don't have nearby trees of any size?

OK, just past Victorian but I think the construction is likely to be similar. They didn't normally skimp on materials if you exclude the single skin extensions at the back. I'd guess these are settlement cracks associated with the new work, but I'd expect it to slow down and stop. Apply filler and wait a year.

[Tricky Dicky]

The cracks above the windows and doors may be due to timber lintels expanding and contracting they usually appear as L shaped cracks just beyond the reveals where the end of the lintel would be.

Richard

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

There will be movement due to load distribution. I had to get the ridge of my roof redone when both my neighbours in the terrace did away with internal downstairs walls, as the ridge went up in the middle. No other problems were seen though. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

A friend of mine has a victorian house with a crack up the bedroom and across the ceiling vary as the weather changes. I'm assuming its normal, since they have sought advice and they were told that is just how they are, and to use some modern pliable fillers. Brian

[Andrew]

115 YO houses didn't have particularly good foundations, and the original wall imposed its downward forces evenly along the foundation. By removing it and inserting a beam, the OP is imposing concentrated point loads onto the foundations, which may not be strong enough. This is something that the BCO will normally fuss over and ask for the original foundations to be exposed to make sure they are strong enough. Did the OP submit a bulding notice, or just rely on the word of a jobbing builder ?.

[Dave Plowman (News]

If they've used modern mortar on an old house built with lime, expect some cracks as it can't move in the same way as lime. But not something to worry about unduly, unless the cracks become large. And this very dry spring can cause more movement than normal in an old house.

[R D S]

It was looked at before and after by someone who's exact capacity I forget but I recall paying £200 for the privilege.

[Jeff Layman]

A general rule of thumb is that horizontal or vertical cracks of a few mm aren't usually anything to worry about. It's when they are diagonal down a wall it could be time to call in a structural engineer.