Diagnosing Building Cracks
Discovering a crack in a building is never something that you are going to want to discover, they are not only unsightly (and will require covering) they are also a sign that there is a bigger problem. You don’t only need to fix the crack itself, but, at the same time you need to look into why it has happened and fix that.
Many cracks that develop in a property will be superficial and they shouldn’t cause too much of a problem. However, this isn’t always the case and there can be times when a crack is severe and needs urgent and necessary repair work to be carried out, especially before it gets any worse.
Where can you usually find these cracks?
The reason that a crack will usually appear in a property is because there has been a build up of stress within the structure. The crack is where the weakness is and will be a build up and a release of the stress. They can happen anywhere in your home.
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Why might they be happening?
As we have already discussed, the main reason that a crack will appear is because there is some element of stress on a property. However, we can dig down deeper into this to identify actual causes of the stress.
The main ones are:
- Damp damage
- Decaying or crushed internal timber that is important to the properties structure
- Tree roots
- Adjacent walls becoming unstable
- A lack of good foundation
- Changes in temperature
- Issues caused by wind
- Road traffic vibrations
- Damaged drains
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How can you tell if a crack is severe or not?
The main way that a crack is diagnosed and its severity identified is by looking at the width of the crack. A crack will usually be split into 5 different groups, each of which will require a different approach or solution to be taken.
- A negligible crack- this type of crack will be a hairline crack and will have a width that is less than a millimetre. They are not very nice to look at, but they are not too severe and can mostly be treated simply by redecorating the area.
- A slight crack- Next up is a slight crack, and this is usually due to structural movement over time. This crack will be between 1mm and 5mm wide and will often be fixed by filling any open voids and then redecorating the interior. The exterior of the property will also need to be repointed too.
- A moderate crack- If the crack measures between 5mm and 15mm then it is called as a moderate crack and building work is going to be needed. They will be able to identify the cause of the crack as well as the best way to treat it. There is more likely to be a complex reason behind these types of cracks and they will likely affect a wider area.
- A severe crack- One thing that you are not going to want to hear is that you have a severe crack in your wall. These will be as big as 35mm wide and there is going to be the need to carry our extensive structural repair work. Usually requiring the replacement of the affected sections within the building. You will often find that a severe crack will also have smaller cracks around them.
- A very severe crack- Finally you have the highest level that can be given to a crack. If the crack is over 25mm then it fits in this bracket and it means that there is severe structural damage to the property and that there is going to be major repair work. This could be partial or complete rebuilding with structural underpinning to help with any instability too.
The main thing to keep in mind when it comes to cracks in your home is that no matter how small they seem; you need to make sure that you are getting them looked at by a professional, so that you won’t end up with a much bigger problem in the future.
Contact London Structural Repairs to Diagnosing Building Cracks and to repair them for you for a hassle free professional service.
