Cracks on internal wall

[jojo]

Hi

We own a large , stone, early Georgian house circa 1725.

We have been away for the winter months when the weather was extemely wet and then extremely cold. On our return we heated the house up as quickly as possible.

We have just discovered, in a first floor bedroom, a crack on an internal wall where it meets the external wall. The crack is vertical and approx 1mm wide. It has not gone through the wall into the next door bedroom.

Is it possible that these extremes of temperatures could have caused the crack?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated

Jo

 

[Penners]

Is it possible that these extremes of temperatures could have caused the crack?

Yes.

You say that you heated the house up as quickly as possible - a sudden change from one extreme temperature to another could cause symptoms like the crack. Or it might have happened during the very cold weather.

It's probably nothing to worry about, particularly as it's an internal dividing wall (not load-bearing, I presume?). But you should keep a close eye on it over the coming months.

 

[OddJob]

I agree with Penners,sudden temperature change could cause the crack,you can monitor it by putting "telltales" on the crack and measuring between them,an old way of doing this was gluing a small piece of glass like a test tube smear thingy over the crack.
But being internal and not going into the next room suggests it's nothing serious and may even close up and heal itself,it may even be some timber movement somewhere.
Assuming it's lime plaster and a fine crack you can just fill it with lime putty.

The most puzzling crack I ever came across was in a granary first floor,the crack appeared every time it rained on the external stopped end but closed when it became dry again,surveyors and engineers scratched their heads and came up with all sorts of proposals for structural repair costing thousands.
Underpinning being one of their brilliant ideas :roll:
All it needed was a new door sill(the door was up steps)and a new floor board.
Water was getting in under the door and swelling the floor boards,the last board was pushing the brickwork on one corner by the door every time it swelled,when it dried and shrank/contracted the brickwork moved back.
The hats and suits poo-pooed our diagnosis and remedy but we did it anyway,new sill and took a bit off the floorboard in case it moved again,doing that and stitching the crack cost about £50.
That was 10 years ago and it hasn't moved since :wink:

 

[Penners]

OddJob - that's a typical cautionary tale about an old building. Ask a dozen different people the reason for a problem and you'll get a dozen different suggestions.

But wait and watch....