Gaps between cornice and ceiling after 3 months of build com

parthiv777 · May 13, 2020 11:54 am

Hi all,

Our build was finished in the end of January this year.
We moved in February, since last two week we started spotting gaps between ceiling and cornice at several places in the house.
Do you guys think it is a matter of concern or it is the natural movement of a new house that is settling? My builder says it is a movement of the house because we started using the heater a lot, does it make any sense?

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ligongl · May 13, 2020 12:05 pm

Its a general excuse from builders, but I thought it was only a problem for squire sets, the whole idea of cornice was to hide the gaps! hmm.. let's see someone with knowledge reply about it..

But it is true there will be a settling down time especially during first year, as the sessions pass-by; so be careful not to ramp up the heater or cooler too much (we kept it at 24c during summer and 18c now) - I have nothing to backup it would help, but just applying some commonsense to avoid extreme temperature differences.

parthiv777 · May 13, 2020 1:50 pm

Ok, I found few more things, crack on brick mortar and wrinkles on one articulation joint.
Builder is sending their maintenance and warranty guy around end of this month, not sure how that will be helpful?
I am afraid it would be more like a blame game session with lot of excuses thrown around.
e.g oh that's normal because of the winter season or that's not covered, etc.
So, Should i consult my own expert before they send their guy?

The upside is on the right side.

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alexp79 · May 13, 2020 1:54 pm

I would have given it a bit more time to see if it gets any worse and can be related to settling, e.g. until mid-July or even August.

@buildingexpert could be the best person to advice here, though.

Pulse · May 13, 2020 11:55 pm

the cornice is a worry, that is generally a very strong joint unless the cornice cement was already half set when used or the house is moving more than it should, the heater story is BS. It is a defect and should be fixed, if it comes off easily the the cornice was poorly installed, if it comes off with difficulty then movement might be the issue.

StructuralBIMGuy · May 14, 2020 7:05 am

You will need to proactively monitor your house movement, identify normal and abnormal movement.
I suggest you purchase a Bosch Line Laser set up a monitoring station and have your house movement checked
over time.Please leave a PM and reach out for engineering tools , hardware and software simulations.
Checking Cracks Using Bosch Laser
OT, I can't stress enough, how important it is to start a thread, take photos, collect data and information and ask for assistance.
BTW, it also helps others
Cheers
Chris

parthiv777 · May 14, 2020 8:03 pm

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your suggestion, but I am a bit of a noob with such tools.
This is for measuring the crack between the bricks(Pic attached) and possible deflection on the brick wall, right?
If yes then it needs to be wall-mounted, right?
How to determine if the movement is normal and abnormal?
Is there any application of this tool indoors, too?

So I should be going with GLL 3-80 or GLL 3-80 CG?

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StructuralBIMGuy · May 14, 2020 8:59 pm

parthiv777

Thanks for your suggestion, but I am a bit of a noob with such tools.
Is there any application of this tool indoors, too?
So I should be going with GLL 3-80 or GLL 3-80 CG?

Bosch Laser tools are very easy to set up and use. I use them every day
The green laser can be used indoors and outdoors with receiver, accuracy is around 3mm
Slab movement can be in excess of 50-100mm ?

parthiv777

This is for measuring the crack between the bricks(Pic attached) and possible deflection on the brick wall, right?
If yes then it needs to be wall-mounted, right?

So I should be going with GLL 3-80 or GLL 3-80 CG?

Measure deflection/movement in X,Y and Z axis's over time, Cracks appear wider on the tensile side
Software can analyse the cracking patterns , I use a normal range for crack tolerances associated with movement.
The lasers works on line of sight the best mounting position or datum is not on the house which is subject to movement.

I will contact the major firms involved, you will need to provide a site plan, Floor Plan, Slab Engineering and elevations showing the current crack locations, then we can work out a plan of attack using the IoT. Please leave a PM

OT, the cost of the Bosch laser is cheaper than having a consultant rock up every week, DIY and save on the measurements
The online software analysis companies will require a fee... it can be worked out

Cheers
Chris

parthiv777 · May 16, 2020 12:00 pm

StructuralBIMGuy

parthiv777

Thanks for your suggestion, but I am a bit of a noob with such tools.
Is there any application of this tool indoors, too?
So I should be going with GLL 3-80 or GLL 3-80 CG?

Bosch Laser tools are very easy to set up and use. I use them every day
The green laser can be used indoors and outdoors with receiver, accuracy is around 3mm
Slab movement can be in excess of 50-100mm ?

parthiv777

This is for measuring the crack between the bricks(Pic attached) and possible deflection on the brick wall, right?
If yes then it needs to be wall-mounted, right?

So I should be going with GLL 3-80 or GLL 3-80 CG?

Measure deflection/movement in X,Y and Z axis's over time, Cracks appear wider on the tensile side
Software can analyse the cracking patterns , I use a normal range for crack tolerances associated with movement.
The lasers works on line of sight the best mounting position or datum is not on the house which is subject to movement.

I will contact the major firms involved, you will need to provide a site plan, Floor Plan, Slab Engineering and elevations showing the current crack locations, then we can work out a plan of attack using the IoT. Please leave a PM

OT, the cost of the Bosch laser is cheaper than having a consultant rock up every week, DIY and save on the measurements
The online software analysis companies will require a fee... it can be worked out

Cheers
Chris

Thanks Chris, i will reach out soon to you via PM

parthiv777 · May 28, 2020 12:04 pm

Builders guy is at home today to remove truss brackets. Do you guys think it will be a problem as it keeps the wall straight?
I was told it is mainly required before plaster and cornice go up, after that wall won’t move much anyway so its ok to remove them.
Is it a standard practice?

StructuralBIMGuy · May 28, 2020 12:54 pm

Hey Dave
The brackets serve a purpose ie
external wall brackets are for holding down the roof, internal brackets are for bracing (lateral restraints), both are required.
The plasterboard and cornices are non structural elements and can not be relied on for structural support
also you will need to measure the ceiling defections to see if they are within tolerances
I've left a pm
Cheers
Chris