Cracks have terrible PR.
See a crack in your phone?
Bad.
See a crack in your windscreen?
Also bad.
So when you notice a crack running across a wall in a property, it’s understandable to wonder whether you’re looking at a minor cosmetic issue — or evidence of something more serious.
The difficult part is that the appearance of a crack alone doesn’t necessarily tell you the cause.
Some cracking can result from relatively minor shrinkage, settlement or movement between different materials.
Other cracking may warrant further investigation.
The important questions are:
- Where is the crack?
- How wide is it?
- What direction does it run?
- Is it affecting the plaster, brickwork or both?
- Is there evidence of previous repair?
- Is it changing?
- Are there other signs of movement nearby?
That’s where professional assessment becomes useful.
Concerned About Cracks in a Property?
If you’ve noticed cracking and want to understand its significance, Sterlingworth Surveyors can inspect the property and advise on the visible defects identified.
Are Cracks in Walls Normal?
Cracking in buildings is relatively common.
Buildings aren’t completely static.
Materials expand and contract.
Timber moves.
Plaster dries and shrinks.
Different building materials can move at different rates.
The ground beneath a building can also change over time.
As a result, finding a crack doesn’t automatically mean there is a serious structural problem.
But neither should every crack automatically be dismissed as cosmetic.
The crack isn’t necessarily the problem. Understanding why it has occurred is what matters.
Cracks in Plaster: When Should You Worry?
Fine cracks confined to plaster finishes can sometimes be associated with shrinkage, drying or relatively minor movement.
However, cracking deserves greater attention where there are additional warning signs.
These can include:
- Cracks becoming progressively wider
- Cracking extending through the underlying masonry
- Diagonal or stepped cracking
- Several cracks appearing in related locations
- Doors or windows becoming difficult to open
- Distortion around openings
- Uneven or noticeably sloping floors
- Evidence of repeated previous repairs
- Cracking affecting both internal and external walls
None of these signs proves that a property has subsidence or serious structural movement.
They simply provide additional information that should be considered when assessing the cracking.
Cracks Above Doors and Windows
Cracking around doors and windows is particularly common because openings create points where stresses can become concentrated.
Possible explanations can include movement of finishes, differential movement between materials or issues associated with the structure around the opening.
That’s why the location of a crack matters.
A surveyor won’t simply look at the crack.
They’ll consider the opening, surrounding walls, construction and other visible evidence.
Cracks in Brickwork
Cracking that continues through external masonry can warrant closer attention.
The pattern can be particularly informative.
A building surveyor may consider:
- Whether cracking follows mortar joints
- Whether bricks themselves have fractured
- Whether the crack is vertical, horizontal, diagonal or stepped
- Whether corresponding cracking exists internally
- Whether doors or windows nearby are distorted
- Whether there are indications of previous repairs
- Whether extensions or alterations may be relevant
Again, no individual feature provides the whole answer.
Context matters.
Cracks Where an Extension Meets the House
This is another common concern.
Extensions and the original building may have been constructed at different times, using different foundations or materials.
Movement can therefore sometimes occur around the junction between the two structures.
That doesn’t automatically mean there is a serious problem.
But recurring, widening or significant cracking around an extension should be properly assessed rather than repeatedly filled and painted without considering why it is occurring.
What Do Subsidence Cracks Look Like?
This is probably the question that brought a lot of you here.
And unfortunately, there isn’t a single crack shape that proves a building has subsidence.
Potential indicators of structural movement can include certain patterns of diagonal or stepped cracking, distortion around openings and other associated signs.
But similar-looking cracking can have different causes.
That’s why searching photographs of “subsidence cracks” online can only take you so far.
A photograph shows the crack.
It doesn’t show the complete building.
Worried Your Cracks Could Be Structural?
An independent inspection can help establish the significance of the visible cracking and whether further investigation is recommended.
Why Has the Crack Appeared?
This is where cracks become complicated.
Depending upon the property and circumstances, cracking may potentially be associated with factors such as:
- Shrinkage of finishes
- Normal movement between materials
- Historic settlement
- Thermal movement
- Alterations to the building
- Movement around openings
- Ground movement
- Drainage-related issues
- Vegetation and soil conditions
- Structural movement
The existence of a crack doesn’t establish which explanation applies.
That’s why simply measuring its width isn’t always enough.
Should You Monitor Cracks?
Sometimes monitoring may be appropriate.
But monitoring shouldn’t simply mean taking a photograph and hoping for the best.
Where movement is suspected, understanding whether cracking is active, progressive or historic can form an important part of further investigation.
The appropriate approach depends on the circumstances and the findings from the property.
Should You Fill Cracks Straight Away?
Not necessarily.
If a crack is purely cosmetic and its cause is understood, repair may be straightforward.
But repeatedly filling a crack that keeps returning addresses the appearance rather than necessarily addressing the reason it is happening.
If you’re concerned about the cracking, it can therefore make sense to have it assessed before carrying out substantial repairs or redecorating.
Otherwise valuable evidence may be concealed.
When Should You Call a Building Surveyor?
Consider professional advice where:
- You’re buying a property and have noticed cracking
- Cracks appear to be getting larger
- Cracks have repeatedly been repaired
- Cracking extends through masonry
- Several related defects are visible
- Doors or windows have become distorted or difficult to operate
- You’re concerned about movement or subsidence
- You simply can’t establish whether the cracking is significant
A building surveyor can inspect the property in context rather than attempting to diagnose a defect from one crack in isolation.
Building Surveyor or Structural Engineer?
They perform different roles.
For many property owners and buyers, a building surveyor can provide an appropriate starting point by inspecting the property and considering the cracking alongside the building’s overall condition.
Depending on what is identified, further investigation or specialist structural engineering advice may subsequently be recommended.
That is very different from assuming every crack requires a structural engineer.
This Is Where Buyers Can Get It Wrong
Imagine you’re buying a house.
You spot a thin crack above a bedroom door.
You immediately assume the worst.
Following inspection, the evidence suggests it is relatively minor cracking to the finishes.
You’ve potentially spent several sleepless nights worrying unnecessarily.
Now imagine another property with apparently innocuous cracking.
Except this time there are other warning signs: distortion around openings, associated external cracking or evidence of progressive movement.
The crack may look similar.
The context isn’t.
That’s the problem with trying to diagnose cracking from appearance alone.
Don’t Let a Crack Make the Decision For You
There are two mistakes property buyers can make.
The first is dismissing cracking because:
“It’s probably nothing.”
The second is assuming:
“The house must have subsidence.”
Neither is particularly useful.
The better question is:
“What is the available evidence telling us?”
Sometimes the answer will be reassuring.
Sometimes further investigation will be appropriate.
And occasionally the findings may materially affect your decision to purchase the property.
That’s exactly why independent professional advice matters.
Concerned About Cracks in a Property?
A crack isn’t a diagnosis.
It’s evidence that needs to be considered alongside the rest of the building.
If you’re buying a property or you’re concerned about cracking you’ve noticed, Sterlingworth Surveyors can inspect the property and provide independent professional advice on the visible defects identified.
Where appropriate, we’ll also advise whether further investigation or specialist input should be considered.
Get a Fixed-Fee Quote
Tell us about the property and the cracking you’ve noticed.
