Knock or Restore

Vas_Guy · 29-05-2006 9:22am #1

A friend of mine ownes a 1980s bungalow and he was stripping off the wall paper he discovered some cracks in over the door ways and also there are some cracks on the outside walls of the house, he contacted builders and an engineer and they told him they are stress/settling cracks.

He's now talking about knocking the house and rebuilding it on the same site as he clams there is a rocky foundation beneath and any extension he builds to the house will fall to rubble because of the rocks under the foundation.

I personally think he's mad, should he extend the house or knock it?

The cracks are surface cracks and do not run deep and are not very wide.

CJhaughey · 29-05-2006 10:49am

Knock it
If nothing else he will be able to build to surpass current insulation regs.
and he gets a nice new house as well.

Pataman · 29-05-2006 11:15am

I think he will need planning permission and I know from experience they are very reluctant to grant permission to knock a "habitable house".

The Hill Billy · 29-05-2006 12:01pm

Knocking it seems like a rather radical & expensive way of dealing with a few settlement cracks.

Your mate could save himself a few bob by going this route:
http://www.woodiesdiy.com/productdetail.aspx?pid=3335&loc=P&catid=101.4.1.0

Vas_Guy · 29-05-2006 12:41pm

I agree to it being an expensive & radical plan.

If he were to build an extension would he encounter problems?

How much would it cost to demonish a house?

ScottishDanny · 29-05-2006 12:58pm

:eek: knocking down a house cos of settlement cracks?! What will he do if he gets the same problem again? fill in the cracks with polyfilla. Lots of houses old and new get them, especially round door and window frames.

galwaydude18 · 29-05-2006 1:04pm

that guy must have more money than sense! Thats going to require planning permission to knock it!

Vas_Guy · 30-05-2006 8:52am

Here are the photos of the cracks, we discovered them after I helped him strip away the wall paper.

If he gets an engineer and extends the house and if the cracks apprear wo'nt the engineer be lible?

DSC00853.JPG

DSC00852.JPG

DSC00854.JPG

The Hill Billy · 30-05-2006 9:29am

Vas_Guy wrote:

If he gets an engineer and extends the house and if the cracks apprear wo'nt the engineer be lible?

Not unless there was a serious defect in the extension. All houses will have cracks appearing as the structure settles over time. If he is worried I would suggest that he has a independent structural survey conducted by a suitably qualified engineer.

Vas_Guy · 30-05-2006 9:34am

Hill Billy wrote:

Not unless there was a serious defect in the extension. All houses will have cracks appearing as the structure settles over time. If he is worried I would suggest that he has a independent structural survey conducted by a suitably qualified engineer.

He did that and was told they are settling cracks and not serious.

He's convienced that the house is going to fall down over time.

air · 30-05-2006 9:46am

FFS, those cracks look completely insignificant, if he's worried then he should get a second opinion.

The Hill Billy · 30-05-2006 10:33am

Vas_Guy wrote:

He did that and was told they are settling cracks and not serious.

What more comfort does he need? There's nothing wrong with the house.

Vas_Guy wrote:

He's convienced that the house is going to fall down over time.

Even if there were serious structural problems with this house - they can be remedied without having to resolve to demolition.

If he's not going to listen to the advice of his engineer - buy him sledgehammer & let him go for it.

Vas_Guy · 30-05-2006 1:56pm

Would a bad foundation cause cracks and would they get any worse?

The Hill Billy · 30-05-2006 2:24pm

Vas_Guy wrote:

Would a bad foundation cause cracks and would they get any worse?

Yes & Yes.
But as you posted earlier your buddy "was told they are settling cracks and not serious."

The engineer would not have said this if he thought the founds were inadequate.

tred · 30-05-2006 2:55pm

Vas_Guy wrote:

Would a ba-d foundation cause cracks and would they get any worse?

Sounds a bit radical. In fairness my parents house built in 1975 not one crack anywhere, but a lot does have to do with the foundation. New houses these days are showing cracks like that. it depends on what the house is sitting on!

Vas_Guy · 31-05-2006 8:53am

I've tried to talk him out of it and he was told that if he fills the cracks they will apprear again, and the wall will eventually crumble.:rolleyes:

tred · 31-05-2006 9:08am

Vas_Guy wrote:

I've tried to talk him out of it and he was told that if he fills the cracks they will apprear again, and the wall will eventually crumble.:rolleyes:

Get that in writing from the engineer, thats what I would say. You can also under pin a foundation, which must be cheaper. How big is the house though?

bbbaldy · 31-05-2006 9:13am

The cracks seen in the photos are in my opinion, insignificant settlement cracks. Perhaps your friend is being a bit O.C.D.

Vas_Guy · 31-05-2006 9:21am

tred wrote:

You can also under pin a foundation, which must be cheaper. QUOTE]

Whats the procedure in underpinning? Is it expensive?

ScottishDanny · 31-05-2006 9:26am

Underpinning is REALLY expensive (tens of thousands) but your mate seems determined to demolish his gaff. Thats like scrapping your car cos the exhaust needs replacing. Has he got an SSIA he needs to spend or something?

I said it before, if he does demolish his house and rebuild AND settlement cracks appear on the new house (which they will) What does he plan to do then?

Listen to the engineer, they're not idiots.

The Hill Billy · 31-05-2006 10:41am

Vas_Guy:

What's going on here?

First you say...

Vas_Guy wrote:

He... was told they are settling cracks and not serious.

Now this has changed to...

Vas_Guy wrote:

...he was told that if he fills the cracks they will apprear again, and the wall will eventually crumble.

Has he been talking to more than one engineer or are the voices just in his head?

Vas_Guy · 31-05-2006 10:43am

He got a few opinions, a builder told him that they are stress cracks and that if he fills them they will reappear!

ScottishDanny · 31-05-2006 11:27am

The cracks have been there for 20 years.
The house didn't fall down during that time
They can be filled in.
They are not likely to reappear unless the house is constantly settling for 20 years+

I hope this clarifies

The Hill Billy · 31-05-2006 11:29am

A biased opinion maybe? Stick with the engineer's opinion.

Judging by the size of the cracks they should not reappear if he uses a flexible filler.

Vas_Guy · 31-05-2006 2:45pm

ScottishDanny wrote:

They are not likely to reappear unless the house is constantly settling for 20 years+

Can this happen a house constantly settling for 20 years+, does that means then the cracks will repppear after being filled and new ones could appear.

Alun · 31-05-2006 2:51pm

This is a 1980's bungalow we're talking about here, not a grade-A listed building, and as such is unlikely to be either to be either a) very energy efficient or b) in any way architecturally stimulating (like 99.9% of what gets built in this country), so I say knock it

The old foundations can presumably be removed and new, improved ones, put in in their place?

ScottishDanny · 31-05-2006 2:59pm

knock it down then

The Hill Billy · 31-05-2006 3:04pm

Alun wrote:

This is a 1980's bungalow we're talking about here?

It is not even 30 years old - no need to knock it.

Alun wrote:

The old foundations can presumably be removed and new, improved ones, put in in their place?

Not needed - there's no subsidence. Only settlement cracks.

Vas_Guy wrote:

Can this happen a house constantly settling for 20 years+

The house may go on settling for another 20 years. It is quite common.

Vas_Guy wrote:

does that means then the cracks will repppear after being filled and new ones could appear.

Flexible filler is your only man.

Vas_Guy · 31-05-2006 3:33pm

Thanks to all who replied I'll pass on your comments.

Knock or Restore

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