a building fault.

[meatboy]

about 3yrs.ago we had a crack on the outside wall,it also started to appear inside.they [builders] repared it and that lasted about 12months till it appeared again.

the crack has always worked down the wall from the outside ceiling,with the top half of the crack being the worst.

we were told its movement in the groung yet there is no cracks or any cracked tiles on the base.its always to down.what i know its where the loading bearing beam is.after they done a long job last yr.steel rods and a new concrete pillar its shown its ugly head again,same place,top to down 2thirds down the wall.

they keep telling us its movement in the ground,myself i am not sure,so can anybody shed any light as to what is happing.

they want to rip up the footings which will be a big job.

[robblok]

If you want more advice you should post some pictures. That makes things a lot more clear. I would like to help but I cant as I am no builder but I do know that pictures will give those with knowledge a better idea about the problem.

[worgeordie]

Could also be caused by the ground drying out,most cracks are caused by poor foundations,

and the only way it can really fixed properly ,is to put new footings in or at least reenforce them,

but it depends on how wide a crack is (on those DIY tv shows,they say not to worry unless you

can put your hand in) and if its a single of multi story dwelling.

regards worgeordie

[lopburi3]

As said a bit hard to understand but normally minor wall cracks are not a great concern as walls are just fillers and so not provide support - so patching over is normally all that is required.

[eyecatcher]

Yes post some photos; unless you are in CM then i will come and take a look for you.

Every crack tells tales(surveyors pun) and yes ground heave does create tapering cracks from the roof downwards.

Often no evidence at the ground.

For example take a ruler and flex it slightly.imagine its your house.

The bottom edge is in compression and the top is in tension. Cracks open up from the top.

Flex more it will break the roof.

This happens in the rain seasons when the ground is swelling usually clays.

Then in summer the ground shrinks the opposite happens. The building sinks into voids created by drying out.

Then you get settkement cracks....from the bottom upwards.

If your crack follows tge joints of bricks and blocks then you are experiencing differential settlement....or worse....a failed footing.

99% of the cracks i have seen here or been asked to inspect have been shrinkage made worse by the fact they Thais are slack when it comes to tying blocks into the columns. They simply dont!

[eyecatcher]

Could also be caused by the ground drying out,most cracks are caused by poor foundations,

and the only way it can really fixed properly ,is to put new footings in or at least reenforce them,

but it depends on how wide a crack is (on those DIY tv shows,they say not to worry unless you

can put your hand in) and if its a single of multi story dwelling.

regards worgeordie

I would say the pad foundations here are generally not wide enough.

With ground as unstable as it is here compounded with their desire for some odd reason to fill everywhere the point loads are just too risky...1 to 2m square and you have a chance that the whole building will move together.

Reinforcing will not improve anything the area needs to be increased to counter the seasonal humping and heaving.

Heaving is when the ground is swelling and humping is....well....when the ground is going down....contracting.

Cracks...1mm to 5mm very typical of shrinkage.

Anything more is a bit of a concern.

[meatboy]

thanks guys for your replies,i wish i could post photo,s but i have tried tried and bloody tried.

the crack is always in the same place,and it was may last yr.when a major job was done 10days to knock through about 2ft.width and 9ft.lenght in total.

the crack is no more than 2mmts.wide,with the worst being about 5ft.in lenght.then to the bottom just a hair line crack.its the same inside the house,

kitchen pillar.so i will bet when its repaired again it will only last for about a yr.

this time they want to expose the foundations,the wife put a hold on it as i was in hospital for 3days.

i am not to keen on them doing a big job [their expense].

so should we be concerned or keep patching it up.and also the ceiling overhang always cracks to.

[colinneil]

Meatboy you want to be sure, then underpin the foundations.

Thais are famous for poor foundations.

Get workers to dig down the side of the foundations, then under,concrete /steel job done.

[eyecatcher]

Meatboy you want to be sure, then underpin the foundations.

Thais are famous for poor foundations.

Get workers to dig down the side of the foundations, then under,concrete /steel job done.

Sorry but i disagree with you on every point.

The first job is to get the structure monitored either by yourself initially or an engineer.

Completely wrong about thais and foundations they are often rough but more than adequate with the small loads imposed. The beauty of the concrete frame is that everything is tied together so a failure in one area is usually never even detected.

For the o.p. start recording the cracks now.

A simple horizontal pencil line say 150mm long across the crack. Then check every two weeks. It may increase to 152 or close to 149 or whatever.

If the line is broken then you have lateral movement and thats the most important one to fear.

After 6month or a year you will have a clear indication whether there is still activity going on.

Digging around footings looking for a red flag waving is wasting time and money especially if you dont know what you are looking for.

[aussiandrew]

If this small crack is the only one you have found I really think you don't really have a problem. Enjoy living in your house.

[wayned]

If it's really bothering you, fill it and paint over it. When it reappears, repeat the process. The house will most likely be there long after you are gone. After filling go make some meat pies for your boy!!

[meatboy]

Meatboy you want to be sure, then underpin the foundations.

Thais are famous for poor foundations.

Get workers to dig down the side of the foundations, then under,concrete /steel job done.

Sorry but i disagree with you on every point.

The first job is to get the structure monitored either by yourself initially or an engineer.

Completely wrong about thais and foundations they are often rough but more than adequate with the small loads imposed. The beauty of the concrete frame is that everything is tied together so a failure in one area is usually never even detected.

For the o.p. start recording the cracks now.

A simple horizontal pencil line say 150mm long across the crack. Then check every two weeks. It may increase to 152 or close to 149 or whatever.

If the line is broken then you have lateral movement and thats the most important one to fear.

After 6month or a year you will have a clear indication whether there is still activity going on.

Digging around footings looking for a red flag waving is wasting time and money especially if you dont know what you are looking for.

this has gone on for over 5yrs.first couple of yrs.just used some wall putty and painted over.

then a crack appeared on the inside wall,so the builder hacked off and exposed the pillar,just like an empty bottle.

so they filled in what they could,but one yr.later there it is again,so they more or less done the whole pillar.

this time one yr.on its there again,as the crack is only 1mm.i dont want an exploration job,so i got a tin of TOA PLYABLE FILLER.hopeing that any slight movement wont cause it to crack.i can live with just skimming over the crack with this acrylic sealant.