Hairline plaster cracks

[vivienz]

As my building settles and the newly skimmed plaster dries out, the usual hairline cracks are appearing here and there, mostly along beading lines.

 

Whilst my scaffolding is still up in here, is there anything I should do about these, or should I just live with them a while and revisit once the building has settled some more?

[Mr Punter]

I think it is worth waiting a year, unless there are bits that will be a real pain to get to later on (like your swimming pool ceiling or the tiger enclosure).

[Declan52]

Let it sit for a year even 18 months and it will move and crack and hopefully that will be that.  Then you can sort out the cracks. 

[Jeremy Harris]

I agree, let it sit for at least a year.  I went around filling minor settlement/shrinkage cracks too soon, and now have to go around again re-doing them sometime.

[vivienz]

Excellent. Anything that saves on a bit of effort now is a plus.

 

Thanks!

[nod]

Yes best to wait 

But when you fill them

You will need to make them bigger

Press a screwdriver or blunt paint scraper to make a V All the way along the crack and will stop them re. cracking 

[scottishjohn]

Is this  a TF  house ?

 

[lizzie]

Nearly a year on and I have lots of cracks, mostly at the corner beading but some along the ceiling.  Going to be @ b*****r to get them all invisibly mended.

[Jeremy Harris]

Sadly there doesn't seem to be any way to prevent cracks developing in the first year or two after a new house has been built, be nice if there was.  We've now owned three new houses since 1992, and all suffered from cracks in the plaster in the first year or two.  Doesn't seem to matter what the construction method is, either.  It was clear that our last house had been (badly) repaired where old cracks in the plaster hadn't been properly filled, and that was block and brick with plastered block internal walls.  I spent ages going around raking out badly filled cracks when we first bought that house, and cursing the Polyfilla maniac who had just gone around smearing the stuff over the top then painting it.  If only they'd done it properly, and vee'd out the crack, filled it, sanded it smooth and then painted it I'd have not have had to spend a couple of days fixing things properly.

[vivienz]

2 hours ago, scottishjohn said:

Is this  a TF  house ?

 

 

Yes. An MBC build with passive slab.

[scottishjohn]

will be the timber frame shrinking and moving about --will settle in good time

[nod]

Always lots more cracking on TF

Timber stud wall are a real problem Even on block 

Mf doesn’t  shrink or move 

We also add a deflection head to allow some lateral movement 

 

We have to allow for a 100 mill of lateral movemt on some of the warehouses 

 

[Pete]

If you get I-------- windows your frame will have done all its moving before they have finished the install!

[Oz07]

Glad to hear it's not just confined to block built houses. Some of these boarders are rough too joining boards in line with window reveals