cracking up

[thebigfella]

hi lads we have finished a new build a couple of weeks ago and i popped back today to start coving and noticed a lot of the ceilings have cracks in them upstairs and downstairs along the joints as if there was no scrim ? every board was scrimmed, i was just wondering if anyone had any answer other than its drying out or movement cracks ?

 

[Casper]

Were the boards staggered?

 

[thebigfella]

yes everything was done by the book the only thing i could think of was the scrim the builder got was cheap and crap could that be the problem ?

 

[henry]

have the ceiling angles cracked or just the ceiling itself

 

[Casper]

Highly unlikey its scrim tape. Dare i ask......did you 1 coat?

 

[Nisus]

:-0

 

[thebigfella]

no never one coat, and no its just the ceiling its self its just strange they all haven't got cracks in them i would say about 75% of the ceilings have cracks in ? and the scrim was really crap

 

[Arti]

too much movement in the timbers....not enough noggins etc???????

 

[TonyM]

Damp studwork shrinking as it dries out.

 

[superspread]

scrim dosent stop cracking ,it stops plaster falling out of the joints or gaps when it does crack.

 

[whitebeam]

Now jute thats another story.....

 

[GBPLASTERING]

too much movement in the timbers....not enough noggins etc???????

Sounds like green timbers drying out or as the man above said not enough noggins. :RpS_thumbdn:

 

[essexandy]

Highly unlikey its scrim tape. Dare i ask......did you 1 coat?

You don't get any more cracking with one coat than two mate.

Now jute thats another story.....

Don't talk crap, jute was rubbish.

I do believe that the quality of the scrim can have an affect, but no scrim is as good as paper tape.
Having said that nothing and I mean NOTHING will stop cracking when the building programme is so fast that the timbers are still damp when tacked and plastered.
I used to do a site where it was their way to have houses built, roofed in and then often left as long as a year before being plastered. Any cracks that were going to appear in the blockwork were usually there before plastering and I was never told of or saw any cracking on the ceilings.
Not that most can leave a plot for a whole year but schedules are just to fast moving nowadays IMO.

 

[jamesthefirst]

Where possible I paper tape all joins before skimming.

 

[bubbles65]

You're in the minority there then :RpS_thumbup:

 

[henry]

just an other thought were the joist leval, Andy you yearn for time which as long gone now all we have ££££££££££££ having the last say profits are all what matters. But it will not stop us from having pride in our work.

 

[DannyMac]

scrim dosent stop cracking ,it stops plaster falling out of the joints or gaps when it does crack.

It does stop cracking to a degree. Especially where paper edges meet, ie not on joist.