Latest posts
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Lintel failure
What is it? The failure of the structural beam (lintel) that spans the opening of a door or window. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Sagging above the frame, diagonal cracks from corners, or “blown” brickwork. Common causes 1. Corrosion of steel lintels2. Rot in timber lintels3. Under-specified lintels for the load4. Lack of…
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How to monitor a crack
What is it? A method of tracking whether a crack is ‘active’ (moving) or ‘passive’ (stable). What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Examples of pencil marks, glass tell-tales, and digital crack gauges. Common causes 1. Seasonal changes2. Ongoing subsidence3. Vibrations4. Initial drying out How serious is it? Rating: Medium Concern. Monitoring is a vital…
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Subsidence or settlement?
What is it? The difference between a building ‘finding its feet’ (settlement) and the ground failing beneath it (subsidence). What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Settlement is usually fine and vertical. Subsidence is often wide and diagonal. Common causes 1. Soil shrinkage (clay)2. Leaking drains3. Tree roots4. Poor initial construction How serious is it?…
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Is my crack serious?
What is it? A guide to distinguishing between minor cosmetic issues and serious structural defects. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Comparison photos showing a hairline crack vs. a wide structural gap. Common causes 1. Natural settlement2. Subsidence3. Thermal movement4. Structural failure How serious is it? Rating: Variable. This depends on the width, direction,…
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Plaster cracks
What is it? Fine cracks in the surface layer of plaster on walls or ceilings. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Often “spider-web” or “map” patterns of very thin lines. Common causes 1. Plaster drying too quickly (crazing)2. Blown plaster (losing bond to the wall)3. Vibrations (e.g., nearby traffic)4. Seasonal temperature changes How serious…
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Ceiling cracks
What is it? Cracks appearing in the ceiling, ranging from fine hairlines to large gaps. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Lines across the ceiling, often following the edges of plasterboard sheets or radiating from corners. Common causes 1. Plasterboard joint movement2. Drying out of timber joists3. Heavy loads in the room above4. Structural…
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Stair-step cracks
What is it? Cracks that follow the zig-zag pattern of the mortar joints between bricks or blocks. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] A “staircase” pattern climbing up or down a brick wall. Common causes 1. Foundation settlement2. Subsidence3. Lintel failure (if near an opening)4. Thermal movement How serious is it? Rating: Medium to…
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Diagonal cracks
What is it? Cracks that run at an angle across a wall, often wider at the top than the bottom. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] A slanted line cutting across bricks or plaster, frequently starting from corners of doors or windows. Common causes 1. Subsidence (foundation sinking)2. Heave (ground swelling)3. Thermal expansion4. Structural…
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Vertical cracks
What is it? Cracks that run straight up and down a wall, often following the line of a single brick or a plaster joint. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] A straight vertical line. In brickwork, it may pass through the bricks themselves or the mortar joints. Common causes 1. Thermal expansion and contraction2.…
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Crack above a door
What is it? A crack appearing above a door frame, often extending diagonally or vertically from the corners. What does it look like? [Insert Photos] Typically a thin to wide gap in the plaster or masonry above the door header. Common causes 1. Lintel failure2. Structural settlement3. Seasonal expansion/contraction4. Slamming of doors How serious is…