Crack on on internal wall Ask your questions and find answers on many subjects relating to plastering and dry lining

[hollyoak]

Hi, can anyone confirm my self diagnosis. I have been living in this house from new, for 17 years. The internal wall has over the last few months developed a crack just distorting the wall paper. I can see nothing on the outside but the wall has been lined with plasterboard and skimmed when built. I suspect that the builders have used a damaged board which through time has become cracked. Any ideas?

[kbrownie]

hollyoak,
depends how big the cracks are, and have you have tried to repair them and cracks returned.
You said you have inspected external walls for movement and no signs.
If you intend repairing the crack, i'd consider remove the board and having a look at wall behind it, to see if there are any signs of movement in internal wall.
Regards
KB

[thedoctor]

See our project on settlement cracks. Never heard of "bad board" doing anything like this, especially after 17 years. Movement can occur for the slightest reason especially in walls which have a timber construction. 30m of timber (the linear amount you would expect to find in a stud wall 3.6m or 12 feet long and 2.4m or 8 feet high) can move as much as 50mm overall as it dries out, shrinks and expands with room humidity. There is very raraely a plasterboard wall in the UK which has not cracked at some time or another.