Subsidence or lintels

[janie982]

Hi
Sorry if this is in the wrong section but I would really appreciate some advice. Our 1896 3 storey terrace seems to dropping/ cracking around the ceiling/ wall on the landing leading to the bathroom (this part of the landing and bathroom is two storey) indicated by bulging wallpaper. A builder told me that houses this old don't have door lintels which causes cracking (the back door has a low brick arch). We have had the back of the house repointed. Hubby thinks the house is subsiding at the back, but wouldn't there be extensive cracks somewhere down the walls?? Any advice about what we should ask 'someone who knows' to be looking at?
Thankyou for any advice.
Jane

 

[catlad]

Post some pictures of your cracks and you will get some opinions, a lot of old houses have them, are they a recent thing.

 

[^woody^]

If the cracks are between walls and ceilings or internal wall junctions (ie corners) then it may just be normal shrinkage

If the cracks are in the middle of walls and in the same place on the inside and outside of external walls, then it may be movement

If the wall is bulging to internal walls or the party walls, then it might just be the plaster coming off

 

[janie982]

Thankyou for these replies, I will post some photos, what a great forum!
Cheers
Jane

 

[MRICS]

Houses of that age often have timber lintels behind brick arches; if the external pointing is poor, and you said that the rear elevation was re-pointed, you get water ingress through the brick joints and the lintel starts decaying. As the lintel slowly collapses, the brickwork supported by it starts to move resulting in cracking and is displaced plaster especially where you have ceiling/floor joists running into the affected area of brickwork. Limited opening up at either end of the lintel bearing is often a good place to start.

Subsidence on the other hand is often denoted by diagonal cracks around windows, twisting of the frames themselves because the window openings are the weak point, external cracking to brickwork which shows internally as well and external displacement of such either side of the cracking. Subsidence is also seasonal as well, the cracks opening and closing depending on the season.

If in doubt notify your building insurers who will appoint a surveyor to first of all establish the cause and if subsidence is suspected then monitor the cracking over the course of at least a year.

 

[^woody^]

If in doubt notify your building insurers who will appoint a surveyor

Never, ever mention the "s" word to an insurer, unless it definitely is and you will be making a claim.

 

[MRICS]

This is what I wrote:-

If in doubt notify your building insurers who will appoint a surveyor to first of all establish the cause and if subsidence is suspected then monitor the cracking over the course of at least a year."

It is not down to you as an insured party to inform insurers that you are suffering from subsidence. You only have to report the defect/damage that is apparent if you feel that the costs involved are going to warrant a claim.

You should note however that building insurance policies place all sorts of responsibilities on the insured - some even state that there is a clear onus on you to notify the insurer of any changes in the condition of the structure and fabric of the building regardless of whether you make a claim or not. Most policy holders ignore this and tend to sort the matter out themselves especially when they suddenly remember they've got an excess to pay anyway. BUT, bear in mind that insurers can refuse to accept the costs of consequential loss if they find out you delayed notifying them. I know this is wondering off subject slightly but insurers dont like paying out at the best of times - its boring but know your policy.