Auck set for 1/1000 year drought? Dealing with small plaster cracks?

[OnTheMove]

Wow sounds like its going to be an even dryer year this year.

Given a lot of Auck is based on Clay and clay when it dries produces some subsidence, what are the best ways to deal with it?

What is an acceptable up keep of plaster cracks etc, 3 per year? 10?

If you level now, when the clay water table is wet again, it will likely raise it too high?

Is it worth repairing if cracks only appear in major droughts?

Obviously a flat patch with solid concrete is ideal. But a LOT of NZ homes are built via under floor to joist to pilings, concreted into the clay. So Im expecting this to impact lot of people.

Do you legally have to report you suspect subsidence during droughts or is this just commonly accepted as part of the deal with such builds?

Me personally Id much rather have a wood clad house, like the one I grew up in (~1910) than the monolithic rendered houses that were in trend during the 80s then some how developed a poor technique in the 2000s, I cant comment too much as not an expert.

But most plaster interiors I see have been repainted here and there. Is it normal given we set for 2 epic drought periods in a row?

[donna]

Yeah and now businesses are going back the demand for water will rise. It's been a great year for wine, but very poor year for diary - with some farmers in Coromandel (which is also experiencing the drought) stopping milking. Hawkes Bay also great for wine but the drought punishing farmers.

Re. cracks - if they're small is it a big deal?

The terraced upstairs flat I had in London had a fist size crack which we just filled (with brick etc) and plastered. Most the homes there have lots of cracks that get worse when it's dry and the water table drops and that maybe why many homeowners choose to wallpaper rather than plaster as minor cracks are not visible.

So with subsidence - a concrete base on clay better than say piles and subfloor?

cheers,

Donna

[OnTheMove]

Re. cracks - if they're small is it a big deal?

Thanks Donna. Unfortunately the one Im thinking of is Piles into concrete with floor on top. It cracked often due to drought I presume, the problem is if I fill it, it then cracks when normal weather returns. Its a headache.

No crack is bigger than say a mm with 9/10 being hairline, its just the share amount of them that appeared at one time. Also movements in door jams etc by a few mm.

I read an article saying its common over Auckland with a lot being based on clay and drought turning the clay to dry hence the couple of mm in movement.

[AlexL]

In this situation a house built on a concrete base slab would be better.
In your case with piles, it might help if you could improve site drainage around your building, i.e. keep the earth around your property dry so that it is one constant rather than continuous fluctuations.
I dont think this would completely solve it as the timber studs/floors in a house will move as it releases and absorbs moisture through out the year. -Advantages of steel studs in some new builds?

When you are repairing the cracks in your house, are you applying fibre glass mesh to hold it together better prior to plastering/painting?

[John the builder]

elastomeric paint if applied thick enough (to get film build) can bridge hairline cracks.

[OnTheMove]

In your case with piles, it might help if you could improve site drainage around your building, i.e. keep the earth around your property dry so that it is one constant rather than continuous fluctuations.

When you are repairing the cracks in your house, are you applying fibre glass mesh to hold it together better prior to plastering/painting?

The site drainage is reasonable, it is a very gentle south east slope (that's why they used piles not dug out the dirt and layed concrete, cheaper I think is likely why). The house has joist sizes wood set into the ground (below the decretive would slats between ground and floor level). This seems to keep under the house dry.

I think the problem is due to a tree that was not allowed to be removed when building (native) competing for the water, add to that -1200mm this year not +1500mm like normal and I think the clay may have shrunken up. MASSIVE cracks in the lawn (2cm) and around linings like concrete its receeded 2.5 inches, looked bizarre compared to when we saw it first at the end of winter all nice and green on a sunny day.

I have considered the gib board tape, is that what you are referring to the glass mesh tape? Im also considering some kind of paint with silicone in it, especially the one crack on outside which gets sun all day in summer and the fibro cement sheeting has cracked (rest of house is wood, with this cement sheeting from JH used as decretive.

My woman read doors not shutting, cracks appearing, you have subsidence and will cost $50k which she doesn't have and freaked out. Ive tried to explain wood houses move and in drough clay will subside a bit, especially when competing for water with an old big native tree 6m away.

A 1mm crack and a number of hairline cracks and a couple internal latches no longer shutting after major drought doesn't mean house need re leveling does it? Because once its wet in the clay water table its likely going to rebound, that's my experience anyway but Im not an expert.

[OnTheMove]

elastomeric paint if applied thick enough (to get film build) can bridge hairline cracks.

John my favourite builder. Its a shame there isn't a product you can add to your existing tins of left over paint to make elastic paint, which is what Im looking into. The crack on the cement board outside IMO needs some kind of fill that will move with it then repainted. Not sure what to use outside silicone that is designed to be painted?

What do you think of the above issues described?

My gut feeling is its normal given MAJOR drought and a Tree fighting for that 1 metre water table for the house to move a few mm and should move back when that water table clay is wet again?

We just cant afford to pay to have it relevelled and I don't feel in my gut this is a major subsidence issue, more just reactive to extreme weather changes.

Would appreciate your opinion and hopefully comfort as Mrs was in tears when she saw cracks in her plaster appear all at once and a few doors no longer latch shut.

Rob in Aus I use to love watching on TV as he always had practical advice for my Qldr renovations.

This being a simple latch shuffle. I may need to go 3mm, but will not fill above it given its likely the latch will move up again in autumn/winter/spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wki1FFqEmvs

[OnTheMove]

If the prior owners had been covering up these cracks and shifting doors, is there any recourse via disputes or law here?

I know in countries like the UK you have to disclose EVERYTHING.

Given they clearly knew the doors weren't latching and cracks were appearing.....

Pretty annoyed the building reporters excuse for not going under the house was they had stuff stored in the way, I viewed it and he could easily have moved or shuffled around it. I think it is a hands and knees job so that could be the real reason.

Or is this something that is very common with plaster board houses on piles when extreme drought occurs etc? (ie 11 minor cracks, 4 doors wont latch, 1 door wont shut (bottom hinge is not providing enough gap)

[John the builder]

vendors are not required to disclose problems unless you ask (and they lie). What you call covering up others call maintenance?

In UK the purchaser gets a comprehensive survey done and not a cheap $450 visual inspection that is 40 min long?

If you bought at auction then "as is" applies.

[donna]

Plus here in NZ our lawyers don't really do a thorough enough job - i.e. they too like the everyone else want a quick deal. I studied property law in Aussie - just out of interest and the S&P process is longer, gives time for questioning the vendor on the title and general enquiries. You can essentially ask them anything - and if something is broke then they need to make good or you negotiate the price or pull out of the agreement.

I am surprised how many buyers accept defective titles.

cheers,

Donna

[OnTheMove]

I am surprised how many buyers accept defective titles.
Donna

Yeah, a lot of people in hype markets just give all their rights away. Nuts.

We did this sale by the book, that's partly why it pisses me off. I am a little annoyed at the quality of building inspection, ie not opening and closing doors, and making exscuse not to check under house ie foundations just because owners had a few things in the way which were easily moveable.

We spent a shed load on conveyancing as well.

I just cant figure out why it has gone out of shape so easily. It is a zig zag shape, so each zig zag must have its own set of pilings. That is the end that has all the cracks. The end that is highest off the ground, the front half of the house, no issues at all. 14 cracks, 2x1mm the rest are hairline and likely will work with just a roll of paint.

I am interested in this elastic type paint John raised, as a primer for consistently reoccurring cracks. then use the paint we have they left.

How a kitchen pantry drops 6mm off the roof is crazy. Do I fill this with some kind of elastic/silicone then paint it? What happens if it moves back again.

The neighbours non native tree is huge, is also over our fence line. Is there any course for saying it is causing our foundations to dry up and have the eye sore lopped and stump burnt etc?

[OnTheMove]

consulted with an ultra honest and very knowledgeable Leveling expert, they believe it to be seasonal.

they have suggested structural engineer to assess (if I want a permanent fix I think)

anyone know how much it costs for structural engineer to assess your foundations?

[simongu]

I have a plaster-clad house so have same sort of issues.

Not sure what to use outside silicone that is designed to be painted?

I use Sikaflex MS and then elastomeric paint over the top as John said, works fine
For internal cracks if serious enough use the glass mesh tape then 1-3 coats skim coated over depending on size of crack and how much I stuff it up (I am DIY not a pro!)

[OnTheMove]

I have a plaster-clad house so have same sort of issues.
I use Sikaflex MS and then elastomeric paint over the top as John said, works fine
For internal cracks if serious enough use the glass mesh tape then 1-3 coats skim coated over depending on size of crack and how much I stuff it up (I am DIY not a pro!)

what was your worst crack? Ive been told 1mm crack is nothing and 5mm movement is not subsidence, don't quote me on that.

So out of the 14 cracks only 2 were not hairline and about 1mm each. All 12 hairlines are running along gib joins on roof or walls. Only 1 has continued to move and I suspect this is due to not using paint suitable for humid areas, ie the bathroom, despite extractors and hrv you still get a fine coat on the walls from hot water showers.

Polycell is another good product.

There is also a spray on product for plaster, I forget its name.

It seems even 100 year old houses are subject to settling in, which sounds crazy, but true, but this is not the same as the damage caused by actual subsidence which can be great, as in and inch to inches wide not mm.

Ive learnt all sorts of tricks in my journey last couple weeks, like how to deal with gib tape bubbles.

There is an awesome plasterer on youtube. If I remember I will post.

There is not a plaster house in all of NZ without a single crack, something like that, I was told.

I am going to go with Johns advice too. There is a huge range of resense resitex coatings.

[simongu]

what was your worst crack? Ive been told 1mm crack is nothing and 5mm movement is not subsidence, don't quote me on that.

Well, within the context of small / hairline cracks some of them run about 5m across the full width of the room along the joins as you said above