Cracks on the interior and exterior wall - subsidence?

[NyBurger]

EDIT - I've also noticed a wider crack on the exterior of the downstairs window and a hairline stair step crack on the ground floor exterior. Images attached.

I've already booked a structural engineer to take a look, but I'm curious about your thoughts in the meantime as they can't come for a few weeks. I have a crack in my front bedroom underneath the window. The top part is about 2mm and has been there for a few years. However, since at least April '24, it's migrated downwards.

I've only recently noticed the crack on the outside, which looks like it's in the same position under the window on the right-hand side (directly below the outer part of the window). It's only a hairline crack, but both together worry me.

Little bit of context - the house is a 6.5 year old mid-terrace newbuild built on clay soil. My neighbour on the end has just had remedial works completed for subsidence (caused by neighbouring bushes which have been cut back. She's also had a trench dug out next to her house and filled with copper sheeting and gravel). I had someone out at the start of last year who said I didn't have subsidence, but the cracks have since got worse. Is it possible that her subsidence is having an effect on my home?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayners]

Plasterboard crack on interior.
Nothing unusual. Can't see outside crack.
Best get it checked out but probably nothing to worry about at the moment..

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

You should have stopped panicking at the 2mm part!

It's nothing, the world's not exploding. Buildings shrink, stretch and move. A dormer is very prone, as it spans the walls and roof, where movement is likely.

If the structural engineer is involved with remediation work then I'd expect he'll conclude that you're utterly doomed, the house is about to fall into the centre of the earth but he can make it all OK if you buy his special treatment for £x,000.

It's also possible that there wasn't anything wrong with your neighbour's house.

 

[NyBurger]

@Ivor Windybottom, they definitely had subsidence. They monitored it over a year or so and saw movement. They can't open their doors or windows. They're noticeably bowing and need replacing.

 

[Notch7]

EDIT - I've also noticed a wider crack on the exterior of the downstairs window and a hairline stair step crack on the ground floor exterior. Images attached.

I've already booked a structural engineer to take a look, but I'm curious about your thoughts in the meantime as they can't come for a few weeks. I have a crack in my front bedroom underneath the window. The top part is about 2mm and has been there for a few years. However, since at least April '24, it's migrated downwards.

I've only recently noticed the crack on the outside, which looks like it's in the same position under the window on the right-hand side (directly below the outer part of the window). It's only a hairline crack, but both together worry me.

Little bit of context - the house is a 6.5 year old mid-terrace newbuild built on clay soil. My neighbour on the end has just had remedial works completed for subsidence (caused by neighbouring bushes which have been cut back. She's also had a trench dug out next to her house and filled with copper sheeting and gravel). I had someone out at the start of last year who said I didn't have subsidence, but the cracks have since got worse. Is it possible that her subsidence is having an effect on my home?

Thanks in advance.

normally I would say its not worth thinking about, but given your neighbours issues, Its probably wise to get the advice of a structural engineer.

inside crack proves nothing -its probably plasterboard crack -is it dot and dab?

externally: it is correct that diagonal stepped cracking can indicate subsidence or heave as clay can do both, if you think about say one corner of the house foundation dropping you can imagine how that would crack the walls diagonally.

however its so insignificant there its probably impossible to distinguish it from thermal shrinkage or settlement.


The most worrying thing is your neighbour having subsidence on a house just 6 years old.........building inspectors are pretty hot on foundations on shrinkable clay soils -for new builds it would be easy enough to do piles.

house builders building new estates often have ground stability surveys done with multiple bores across the site

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've already booked a structural engineer to take a look, but I'm curious about your thoughts in the meantime as they can't come for a few weeks. I have a crack in my front bedroom underneath the window. The top part is about 2mm and has been there for a few years. However, since at least April '24, it's migrated downwards.

You need to identify which photos are which! That first photo, might that be the front bedroom you mention above? Is that wall plasterboard/if you tap it does it sound hollow? If so, that is just poor quality plaster boarding. Fill it, paint it, and forget about it.

The cracks outside, are just tiny cracks, natural settlement, nothing to worry about.

 

[NyBurger]

Thanks for your reply.

Image 1: Crack inside the front bedroom (plasterboard)
Image 2: Crack on the other side of the wall (front bedroom) in what looks to be the same position as the crack inside
Image 3: A closer look at the crack (same as image 2)
Image 4: Crack in the exterior beneath the downstairs kitchen window
Image 5: Example of stair step cracking in the exterior of the house - to the right of the kitchen window
Image 6: Same as image 5

 

[NyBurger]

normally I would say its not worth thinking about, but given your neighbours issues, Its probably wise to get the advice of a structural engineer.

inside crack proves nothing -its probably plasterboard crack -is it dot and dab?

externally: it is correct that diagonal stepped cracking can indicate subsidence or heave as clay can do both, if you think about say one corner of the house foundation dropping you can imagine how that would crack the walls diagonally.

however its so insignificant there its probably impossible to distinguish it from thermal shrinkage or settlement.


The most worrying thing is your neighbour having subsidence on a house just 6 years old.........building inspectors are pretty hot on foundations on shrinkable clay soils -for new builds it would be easy enough to do piles.

house builders building new estates often have ground stability surveys done with multiple bores across the site

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it does sound hollow. I'm not sure if it's dot and dab though. It is a worry. They said it was neighbouring bushes drawing moisture from the soil but we have a lot of oak trees on the development. There have been tonnes of problems so not sure the homebuilder was the best. I had someone out at the start of last year who said it wasn't subsidence but some of the cracks have gotten worse or appeared over the last year.

 

[^woody^]

It's not a common location for foundation movement in a terrace. Not unknown, but less likely than other possible reasons for the cracking.

Wait for your engineer to assess it. No need in speculating.

Is a building warranty still current?

 

[ree]

OP,
Your concerns for the most expensive thing you will ever own (your house) are valid, & its great that you've taken action to look for advice.
The trollish hysteria of poster #3 should be ignored.

 

[NyBurger]

OP,
Your concerns for the most expensive thing you will ever own (your house) are valid, & its great that you've taken action to look for advice.
The trollish hysteria of poster #3 should be ignored.

Thanks for your kind and sensible reply! I know I could be being overly cautious but given my neighbour's circumstances, it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm really hoping the other commenters are right in saying I have normal movement, but some cracks are definitely making me nervous.

 

[NyBurger]

It's not a common location for foundation movement in a terrace. Not unknown, but less likely than other possible reasons for the cracking.

Wait for your engineer to assess it. No need in speculating.

Is a building warranty still current?

Thanks for your reply. I do have a few years left on it but they won't touch the house unless the subsidence is caused by a developer fault. As shrubs and trees would be the most likely cause (assuming my house has subsidence), my claim would have to go through my home insurance.

 

[^woody^]

Thanks for your reply. I do have a few years left on it but they won't touch the house unless the subsidence is caused by a developer fault. As shrubs and trees would be the most likely cause (assuming my house has subsidence), my claim would have to go through my home insurance.

Cop out clause.

The question a shrewd solicitor would be asking is "If the foundations were suitably designed and properly built to the required standards, then why have they moved?"

The foundation must be defective.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Just trying to inject a bit of balance. Not trying to be unhelpful, the opposite in fact. Sorry if it sounded mocking, it wasn't meant to be, at least not of you.

At the time I posted my previous comment there were two photos. More have been added since. However, I've seen vastly worse elsewhere. Definitely seen worse on my own house, which I know definitely isn't collapsing into a heap.

None of the photos prove that there definitely is an issue. They only show narrow cracks, but this doesn't mean that there ISN'T an issue.

My suspicion of the surveyor is well founded, there's an army of dodgy "specialist" companies who exploit homeowners by sending in their "experts" to find non-existent issues and charging £10,000s for work that was never needed. This may or may not be the case with you and your neighbours but it has to be raised as a possibility. Some bright people get sucked into this sort of nonsense.

Definitely get it looked at by a reputable independent specialist. Soon if there's a warranty that may be nearing expiry. Don't accept that cop-out, it sounds like an initial brush-off, hoping that you get intimidated and go away. If there really is an issue then you can challenge it. Any house has to withstand a normal amount of ground movement. But get legal advice first - many solicitors will do a free initial consultation. But you can only claim if within the warranty period.