Crack above RSJ installation

[Chris Br]

Hi,

Just wondering whether this crack that has appeared directly above a wall that was removed and had a 5 metre RSJ installed is ‘normal’.

Some points below..

1. It was installed in October 2022, so a little while ago now. Don’t know if the crack was there before that as we had not long moved in. Have filled and painted over it in June/July 23 but it has come back. Do not believe it is any worse, just reappeared. I may have not done the best filling job. It is a reasonably cold/unused room currently so potentially temperature changes from summer to winter didn’t help?

2. There is a bathroom next room along to where the crack is that would also have the RSJ running underneath it. No obvious cracks in this room. This room contains a large bath so has substantial weight added to it on and off from water obviously.

3. Cannot see any obvious stress issues from outside the property albeit cannot see the external brickwork that would mirror this crack on the outside as there is a single story pitched roof that covers this up. All plaster in the room where the RSJ was installed and wall removed has no cracks.

4. In the video the bit that’s chipped away at the bottom is my doing. I picked at it to see how ‘deep’ the crack ran. Presume what I’m seeing there is plaster as think I can see the little gypsum bits. Cracks themselves must be about 1mm wide, maybe 2mm at a push.

5. Had no issues with the window above the crack opening or anything like that since the work took place.

7. Unknown when house built, believe 50’s or 60’s.

8. House is built in to a slope/hill and it has been a very very rainy year..!

9. Structural engineer provided calcs at the time.

Thoughts?

Have had to upload it as a video to YouTube as I only took a video and have since put a first layer of filler over it again so can’t take photos now ‍.

 

[^woody^]

Look for similar threads.

Whilst not impossible, defective design is unlikely. Defective support - ie the padstone or wall under the beam is a slightly more possible, but still unlikely. Most likely is quality of installation - jacking the wall above, and then packing it properly afterwards are the most likely and very common.

But you'll need someone experienced to confirm that.

 

[Chris Br]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I’m interested to know whether the crack, on the face of it, (appreciating there are loads of variables that can mean it’s difficult to tell from a video) is of any concern or whether the size/width of the crack, the time elapsed since RSJ installation etc etc mean it’s likely to just be cosmetic.

Many thanks

 

[^woody^]

Normally, if the support is adequate, cracking is not a major concern.

Obviously, unrelated and coincidental movement elsewhere may have caused the cracking which may be more concerning, that's why it needs determining by a suitable person.

 

[catlad]

I've noticed more cracks than normal this year, I'm putting it down to the long hot spell last year were the ground shrank more than usual. ( not every case obviously )

 

[robinbanks]

The time to worry with a crack in a wall is when you can get your hand in it..

If you're wondering about whether it gets worse, is there any location you can hammer a wedge in now and watch for it dropping or falling out over time?