|
IS CRACKING A JOKE OR SERIOUS?
Movement in Buildings by John Marshall CEnv FRICS CNEI
All buildings move, foundations settle, different parts of the construction have different expansion coefficients, suspended parts of the construction such as lintels settle with age. All of this is quite normal within any building as are the cracks that will appear because of these movements. A building crack is never a joke, but it may not be serious.
Stone walls may appear solid and very thick but usually they are two thinner walls with a rubble filling in between. Often these walls do not have larger stones spanning the rubble filled gap which tie the walls together. If water penetrates the rubble fill, be it by damp rising from the ground or leaking in from the exterior, the rubble can expand and cause one or both of the walls to bow and crack.
Extremes of temperature cause a building to expand and contract, and as a building is a mixture of different materials that expand/contract at different degrees, cracking can occur when the movement is stopped by a less flexible area.
Poorly designed roof structures can exert pressure on the walls that pushes them out causing cracking. Foundations can subside because of the soil drying out or the fine particles being washed away by a flow of water, for example from a leaking drain. It is important to note that property insurance in France (whether from French or GB insurers) does not provide cover against subsidence. In some parts of the South cracks can be caused by earthquakes.
There are remedies for all types of movement, cracks and bowing, to repair and to strengthen, and they are mostly not that expensive, but some can be incredibly costly. It helps when designing a remedy if movement is observed and recorded over a long period of time, so that the designer can better understand the problem.
The causes, effects, degree of seriousness and remedies of cracks fills a book, so it is essential that if the house you want to buy has cracking or bulging, then commission a survey from an experienced practitioner who should be able to advise you on the cause and most importantly the possible remedy, so that you know what, if any expense lies ahead.
John Marshall is qualified and registered in Britain and France as a Chartered Surveyor and Expert Immobilier. He has been a director of an International Estate Agency working throughout Europe and has lived and practised in SE France since 2002. He is a consultant to the Channel 4 programme, Selling Houses Abroad and is a panel valuer for several clearing and private banks. He may be contacted at: [email protected]
|
