A guide to the safe removal of asbestos products in Australia. Damp is a factor that attacks most households in the UK, so it's best to prevent it! Have a look at our damp proofing cost guide and be one step ahead! Return to Top. Cracks ($175.00 to $3,000.00) Masonry joints expand and contract with seasons and temperature fluctuation. This can lead to cracks forming and allowing. Settlement Cracks and Subsidence Cracks Including Cracks in Walls and Cracks in Plaster. Settlement cracks in outer cavity wall of property. There can be a huge number of different reasons for cracks in the home. In the majority of cases small, hairline cracks in walls, ceilings and plaster can be a sign of simple expansion and contraction movement within your home due to humidity, temperature and the way that 1. How to Fix a Hole in a Wall. Walls can be damaged in a wide variety of ways, from pin holes and cracks to large break outs. Each type of problem has a very different. At the other end of the scale there could be bigger problems with foundations where they need underpinning in some way. For example timber will expand and contract due to moisture levels and temperature. Put this in the context of an exposed wooden window frame in a bathroom that has been plastered right up to it, you can imagine in this environment, due to huge humidity and temperature fluctuations that the window frame will be exposed to, it will expand and contract significantly on a daily basis causing the plaster touches it to crack. In most cases you wouldn’t have the above scenario, as the bathroom may well be tiled and you may have a UPVC window, but it’s just an example to demonstrate that your house is constantly on the move. If your house is close to a busy road, the rumble of the passing traffic and vibration of the ground can also be the cause of cracks appearing in your home. Additionally in newer properties there can be a certain period of “settlement” that the house has to go through whereby effectively everything "settles down". This can in turn cause small cracks to appear. In terms of the size of these cracks, a settlement or shrinkage crack is really anything less than 0. In light of the above points, these sorts of very small, hairline shrinkage- type cracks in wall, ceilings and plaster are fairly minor and more of an aesthetic issue, but at the same time should not be ignored as they may be a sign of the beginnings of something more serious. They should be kept an eye on and if necessary, investigated. In this project we are more interested in examining the causes of larger cracks and splits in brickwork and blockwork, normally visible on the outer cavity wall’s. These can be the sign of something significantly more serious. If you need help with any type of wall cracking repair problem Property Repair Systems will be pleased to give you completely free, no obligation advice on 0. The information you need may be in the Project below, but if not call them for expert, unbiased assistance with building products. Types of Cracks. In general, there are two types of larger crack that can appear in the walls of your home that should cause concern. The direction of the crack should also be noted as this is significant: Horizontal cracks (including diagonal or stepped) – Usually appear along the mortar joints between brickwork or blockwork. They can follow the mortar joints in a line or diagonally upwards in a staircase pattern. If the crack follows a straight line it is normally caused through applied, sideways pressures e. Additionally, poor drainage issues can also contribute heavily to these issues. If the crack is running in a staircase pattern across and up a wall then this is normally caused through subsidence or settlement issues causing the foundations to shift. Another possible cause for this is wall tie failure. Wall ties can corrode and expand forcing mortar joints apart and creating cracks. More about this can be read here. In some cases these cracks may also appear in the foundation itself. ![]() Obviously this may be hard to see due to the fact they may be below ground so other, visual effects may need to be adhered to Horizontal settlement crack in wall. Vertical cracks –Minor cracks of this type usually tend to appear on internal walls and are the result movement in materials such as plasterboard or brickwork causing the plaster to crack. In the case of major vertical cracks running on exterior walls of your property (minimum of 3mm in width) this can indicate serious settlement issues or foundation problems. These are normally caused by a drop in a section of the foundation that then causes a property or building to effectively pull away from the rest of the structure creating the crack Vertical stepped settlement crack in wall. When any crack suddenly appears in a property, regardless of it’s size, it should be investigated immediately if just to add peace of mind that there is nothing structurally wrong. In some cases wall coverings, paint or render may obscure the extent of the cracking and damage making any cracks appear to be less serious than they actually are. In the case that large cracks suddenly appear you should contact a structural engineer or professional contractor right away as your property may not only be unsafe for you but also other properties and people around you. How Settlement Damage to Foundations Can Happen and Cause Cracks. Poor Drainage, Flooding and Rain – Occasionally, if the soil surrounding a property is not properly graded to ensure that any water flows away from the property. Guttering may not have been correctly installed or is in poor condition then water can be allowed to sit and overflow. Once this happens it soaks down into the soil causing separation or voids in the ground and if it is particularly clay- heavy then it can become soft and cause foundations to sink. Leaks – In many cases plumbing, wastes and pipework can run under the floor of a property. If any of these develops a leak then in a very short space of time soil can become saturated around foundations and severely weaken it’s load bearing abilities. Trees – If you have any large, aged trees in close proximity to your property then they can cause serious issues. An aged tree’s root system can be twice as large as anything visible above ground and due to this root mass can absorb a considerable amount of moisture causing soil shrinkage. Additionally as roots grow and move they can also cause loosening and movement in soil. Prolonged Drought – When soil is subjected to lack of water and moisture over prolonged periods it can shrink and drop causing foundations to shift due to the lack of solid support. Incorrectly Compacted Soil Fill – During the construction of a property and to ensure that the base of any footings are flat and level, the builder or ground- work team will bring in material to replace the excavated soil and line the base of trenches. If this material is not correctly and suitably compacted then the weight of property above it will cause collapse and the foundations will fail. Tell–Tale Signs of Serious Settlement Damage. Aside from the above types of visual cracking there are a few other, slightly more subtle signs that you could have problems: Internal Doors – When serious subsidence or foundation issues occur they can cause your property to effectively twist and bend. When this happens, items such as door frames that need to be square so that the actual door fits within it, are pulled out of shape making the door tight and stiff to open and close. Additionally you may also notice gaps around the door and frame. Window Frames – Similar to the above, when a building shifts, things are bent and twisted and the same can be said for window frames. If this happens, windows become stiff to open and close and the glass has been known to crack. Nail and Screw Heads – This particular occurrence is sometimes known as nail popping or nail pops. If you have visible cracks, no matter how big, check the area around the crack for any raised nail or screw heads. If you find any, this is a sure sign that you have some serious movement as, when a property begins to sag or drop due to subsidence or damaged foundations all it’s internals are pulled and stretched. Internal stud walls and the plasterboard coverings are pulled apart causing nail and screw heads to pop out. Do not be alarmed if you have a few popped nails round the home, in plasterboard ceilings or walls as this can happen with ordinary, minor movement caused by settlement. But where these popping nails are together with cracks appearing in the wall, it may be time to get the place checked over. Settlement crack above door frame. Cracks in Walls – are They Still Active? In respect to the above, it has also been known for houses to move suddenly and a few cracks to appear, then stay in that condition for donkeys years. This may be due to a sudden shift in the ground below, or a void in the earth may have suddenly collapsed and filled with soil from above..
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