Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Jan 24, 2016 10:59 am Hi Guys, This is my first post here and I'm a total amateur when it comes to doing things around the home so I hope my question isn't too silly. My house is built on a slope on bricks and bearers. The front of my house is I believe on clay so as the moisture levels change the brick piers are pushing up and causing some cracking in my walls. Most of the cracks are minor and I'm not concerned about. However this is a major crack about halfway down a set of stairs ( 5 stairs ) down to the front of my house. It runs from the ceiling to the bottom of the stairs about 1.5 metres. I've had a structural engineer out and we effectively took out the bricks by putting in a large steel beam support the bearers. The steel beam goes across the house. This work was completed about 3 months ago so I've got a gyprocker out to look at it. He made two suggestions as there still seems to be some movement unfortunately. 1 - Put in an expansion joint down the wall where the cracking is. 2 - He could put a 5mm gap in the wall where the crack currently is and then I could cover it with a timber strip. What I am trying to decide is what option to go with and how does the second option still allow for movement? if the timber strip(beading) is stuck to either side of the gyprock, covering the gap? Many thanks. Bob Re: Vertical crack down wall trying to understand options. 2Jan 24, 2016 11:07 am A photo or two would help/ However on the inside if the plasterer is talking about this type of expansion joint commonly used on long runs of Gyprock that is the way to go. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=80901 viewtopic.php?f=53&t=76090 If you allow a gap of 5mm and plaster it all up, then fill that gap with a flexible sealant ( even No More Gaps will do ) by the time you paint it all, all you will see is a faint vertical line running down the wall - hardly noticeable to everyone else and a way better solution than covering it with a timber bead. With expansion of the wall the bead of sealant may bulge slightly then go back as it contracts. Stewie Re: Vertical crack down wall trying to understand options. 3Jan 24, 2016 12:16 pm Thanks Stewie, Yeah thats the type of expansion joint he was thinking however it would be put in vertical. Here is a photo. http://imgur.com/bWMGnkW As you can see its a mess and there is some bulging at the top near the crack. Re: Vertical crack down wall trying to understand options. 4Jan 24, 2016 2:08 pm That's just the plasterboard being rammed into each other. Chop it out, install those joints, plaster and paint. Just so we're on the same page, your house is a brick veneer house is it not or full brick ? Stewie the sun master is the solar heating to "warm" the water in the tank the S26 is your hot water system which will heat the water (25 degrees?) so with both turned on you… 2 12481 Most likely poor foam installation and render installation, Joint covered with render, foam could be sitting on flashing. Do you have any render at house 4 9302 |