Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Nov 15, 2009 10:29 pm I have bought an apartment building 4 years ago, new, and there has always been large cracks forming in the walls. The owner-builder always says they are normal as the building settles. But now there is a long crack in the ceiling about 7 feet long in my kitchen. I am on the ground floor and their are two floors above me. The ceiling is concrete with plaster straight on top. I am worried. I can see cracks forming in the basement carpark floors as well. The underground carpark walls have always leaked. Wondering if any of this is normal? I am mainly concerned about my ceiling and whether it can collapse? I cannot afford an inspector at the moment. Just wondering if I should sell up now if it's bad. I need builders opinions please. Re: Help! 2Nov 15, 2009 10:41 pm It doesn't sound good where are you? Sand plain city or clay and rock? Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Help! 3Nov 15, 2009 10:46 pm The ceiling shouldn't be cracking like that, but it probably won't collapse. Is it a hairline crack, or something that has opened up ? If you have a concrete floor above you, I doubt the plasterboard ceiling would be fixed directly to the concrete above. usually it would be installed on a suspension system, or via the use of battens fixed to the concrete (to minimise cracking by allowing movement as well as allow the services to run through the ceiling). Find out exactly how the ceiling has been constructed. It shouldn't be cracking however. Maybe there is too much movement and the ceiling cannot cope. Sometimes plasterers use paper instead of tape when stopping up the ceilings. Paper doesn't handle too much movement all that well. A plasterer may be able to fix this problem by re-stopping up the ceiling. I have seen this issue before (and seen it fixed) in multi story dwellings. Cracks in the basement carpark floor could be nothing. They could be hairline cracks caused by shrinkage, or maybe cracking around slab corners (for example around the base of concrete column). Most of the time these aren't going to cause you a concern and occur pretty regularly in construction. It all depends on where the crack is and what it looks like. Many underground carpark walls leak to some extent and usually don't pose a major problem, but it shouldn't be that bad, and shouldn't be leaking constantly. Ask for a copy of the original drawings and it will show you what drainage measures were designed. Maybe they aren't working too well (or weren't done properly in the first place)? Could you take any photos of these cracks to give a better indication of what they are ? What sort of ground are you on (ie clay, sand, etc). Unfortunately a private inspector is your best bet to give you the best advice possible. They would also be assisted with original design drawings, soil report, etc if you can get your hands on them. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Help! 4Nov 15, 2009 11:08 pm I am in Lidcombe, the soil is mostly clay from what I can see from digging in the garden. I will find out more about the ceiling. It feels like it is directly on the cement. It's pretty noisy as well, can hear everything from upstairs, walking, talking. The crack used to be hairline but seems to be getting wider like all the others. It's diagonal (not straight) as well I appreciate all your advice guys. I will find out more about the ceiling. . I will reply soon.
Re: Help! 5Nov 15, 2009 11:13 pm jb - I beg to differ.. It is one thing to see cracks and acknowledge them. Having a leaking basement is not a good long term solution to longevity If the structure is concrete all over then I'd be thinking that the steel should be as protected as possible. No I don't think it is normal for concrete to crack and further not be dealt with. Since concrete has a fair amount of steel and if water is getting through then maybe a bit of air as well... Then you end up with concrete cancer and the steel will destroy the concrete. I am a firm believer in prevention is better than cure I would suggest some photos for sure. Try some close ups + jbd, not meant to be picky though I have seen ...a lot of trouble for nothing and a lot of nothing for trouble Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Help! 6Nov 15, 2009 11:14 pm So when you tap the ceiling, it should sound solid, not hollow and if that's the case, it sounds like the ceiling isn't handling the building's movement. Out of curiousity, what sort of light fittings do you have ? Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Help! 8Nov 15, 2009 11:23 pm Quote: jb - I beg to differ.. It is one thing to see cracks and acknowledge them. Having a leaking basement is not a good long term solution to longevity If the structure is concrete all over then I'd be thinking that the steel should be as protected as possible. No I don't think it is normal for concrete to crack and further not be dealt with. Since concrete has a fair amount of steel and if water is getting through the maybe a bit of air as well... Then you end up with concrete cancer and the steel will destroy the concrete. Agreed. I guess what I am saying is that there are "cracks" and there are "cracks" And no, leaky basements aren't good.. A shrinkage crack generally isn't going to cause concern, but a structural crack is obviously something to worry about. Since we don't know the full details of the construction method (ie structural design of the building, drainage design, the cracks, and the leaks,etc) it's pretty hard to offer any advice as it's all guesswork based on assumptions. The water could be coming from anywhere - the natural ground, or something above. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Help! 9Nov 15, 2009 11:23 pm I appreciate your comments guys. All my neighbours are talking about theirs as well. But I am the only one with a cracked ceiling so far. I haven't seen anything quite this bad before. I know some cracks are normal and I do not usually worry about them but this building is really something . I'll get some photos for you tomorrow. The owner/builder painted the underground carpark with waterproofing paint but that is peeling off. Then he installed drains to drain off the water every time it rains. Re: Help! 10Nov 15, 2009 11:33 pm Ah crap no parging sounds like(or breached), that is just exactly what not to do. Hydrostatic pressure will blow coatings off forever. ( most ) ...anyhow the wrong way to fix it ... and te wrong side too Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Help! 11Nov 15, 2009 11:36 pm In my opinion, owner building shouldn't be allowed in this type of construction. Cost cutting would be used (as in not battening out the ceilings) and often the "builder" doesn't know what to look out for (such as the possible ramifications of plasterers using paper to stop up ceilings). For the owner building to say that this cracking is normal is ridiculous. Cracks in ceilings caused by movement are often caused due to poor design/installation. Waterproofing the walls won't help if the leak is running down the walls. It also won't help if the water is coming through the walls. Correct measures have to be taken on the other side of the wall to ensure ground water is drained away before it enters the basement. If the building is only 4 years old, at least it's still covered by the builder's insurance. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Help! 13Nov 16, 2009 6:35 am Yeah, I'll look into that. I am most concerned about the ceiling. Now I know it is the cement as the crack actually continues from room to room. If it was the plaster it wouldn't do that as each room has it's own plaster on the cement ceiling. There are a few stories above me. Hi there, long-time lurker but first time posting. I've bought a house 2 and a bit years ago and last year we had some major water damage on a converted pergola area… 0 7932 Yes, unless you are in a low intensity rainfall area or the area is protected from rain. Do you have access to NCC Part 2 or can you download it? I can email you a copy… 10 12515 Thankyou so much 😀 I've decided on White on white for doors and trims, White on white 50% on ceiling and Mt buller for walls. Fingers crossed it will look OK 😀 2 7165 |