cracks on my inside wall???

Question

i have found 2 cracks above my doorframes and one at the top of the stairs all are about a foot long .on my outside wall nothing is showing ,should i be concerned??? am i covered with building insurance??

Answer 1

I wouldn't think so it will just be the house settleing and is common for the new plaster to crack. You can fill it in with stretchy poly filler and paint over it and only worry if the cracks show on the outside wall or gets a lot bigger

Answer 2

I have similar length hairline cracks in the interior plaster only, coming from opposing corners of a window. When I bought the place 2 years ago the surveyor said they were just settlement cracks which would have occured in the first few months after the building was completed (20 years ago) whilst materials (plaster & breeze block) were drying out and contracting at different rates.
The cracks havn't grown in length or widened while I've been here, and I've recently filled them in.
Above the window, but up in the loft, I've also got 1mm wide vertical cracks through the middle of some of the breeze-blocks, in a stepped pattern up part of what is an end cavity wall, but again the surveyor said it was nothing to worry about.

He said wider cracks are more significant though as they aren't normally attributable to settlement.

Some buildings insurance companies allow you to download free info on these matters. I found some on the Royal & Sun Alliance website, but may have been logged-on to get them.

Another guess: Maybe the vibrations caused by slamming the door have caused superficial cracks in the plaster. Perhaps the pins which ancor the stair string to the wall may be exerting stress on the wall if they were badly placed or not enough of them.

Answer 3

I'm no contractor but I do a little bit of handyman work but I'd say you've got a problem. Generaly door frames are in load bearing walls, also the headers, if done right, are mainly secured to the foundation via 2/4s if you have seperation somthing is causing it to pull down so that would tell me that (I could be wrong) you should check your foundation for crackes or water undermining. I think going by the description your sinking. I would also locate all load bearing walls and look for crackes their too.

Answer 4

If the house is new then you don't have anything to worry about. It is common settling. If you house is built on a basement then this problem will be even more apparent. Have it touched up and painted. Wait a while and make sure that it doesn't come back. If the door ever starts getting sticky then you may have a problem. I emphasis may. Chances are that you wont.

Answer 5

If your house is brand new, get the builders to repair it under their build policy which should give you 6-12months free repairs.

If your house is middle aged, have any conditions changed, if not then just fill in the cracks and wait to see if they occur again.

If your house is old consider finding out if it is subsiding.

Unless you live on a cliff edge you have no immediate worries, just dont leave it for years.

Answer 6

Doesnt sound like its much to worry about,but how old is the house???? If new,then you will get some settling,if its old then its not uncommon to get cracks appearing.As long as they arent too big and only internally then it shouldnt be a worry for you

Answer 7

Sounds like the house is settling. Nothing to worry about, unless you want to spend 3k and get a structural engineer to tell you you need a new foundation. I can tell you that for free!

Answer 8

It all depends if its mining subsidence....Ask your insurance company first..... if you aren't satisfied with their answer go & seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Answer 9

oops! don't know not a builder but it might be somthing to do with subsidence i'm sure some builder chap will tell us i'm wrong