Currently having a new kitchen in my 50's 60's end of terrace and I took up the lino from the floor and found two layers of plastic tiles.
Under the plastic tiles is a concrete floor which to my horror is cracked. The the crack is at one end of the kitchen which is about 8ft x 12ft in
size (the kitchen not the crack). The crack runs across the eight foot length from wall to wall. There are other cracks centred around the centre
leading off the main one. Where the crack goes to the outer walls there is ZERO evidence of cracks up the walls on the inside or the outside. The
concrete floor seems to be separate from the brickwork as it seems to end 1-2mm short of the bricks.
Something major has happened to the concrete floor in the past to create such a crack. At some points is 2-3mm across and you can see down it maybe
30mm. However there is no evidence of wall damage.
Has anyone got any advice on this? I am worried sick about it as I just haven't the money to fund any foundation based repairs. But if it is
structural then I need to do something.
Kevin What'is name on Grand Designs reckoned you shouldn't worry about a crack until you can get your hand into it!
You may have more luck by going onto DIYnot .com linky
BOL. Pewe10
Without inspecting it and based purely on what you say, I would guess that in the vicinity of the crack there is a hardened underlay to the slab such
as a rock bank or a rock and the rest of the slab is on softer material with minor variation in settlement causing the crack - in such a case I would
just chase out the crack into a V shape and re-fill it with a suitable cement grout.
I would not worry about it unless there are services in or under the slab in the vicinity and/or the crack is reflected in the walls.
Concrete is very weak in tension unless suitably reinforced so very minor settlement will lead to cracks and if that's all you find after nearly
60 years you have very little to worry about.
Of course if it still worries you get a professional opinion.
Yup if you can't stick your fingers in it is is usually just shrinkage.
I know it is alarming but usually nowt to worry about. Surveyors use epoxy to stick bits of glass across the crack to monitor the crack developing but
not usually for small ones like this.
Cheers!
If the walls are sound and square then it is probably settlement and the "floating floor" in your kitchen has cracked.
As Ivan noted, just look to fill and check again in a years time to see if its still moving.
just sweep some dry cement into the crack until it is full then leave it. nothing to worry about
There are no services under the house as such but services do run within 3m around the that corner of the house. Mainly the sewage and drainage pipes
that are owned my Anglian Water. The whole backyard is made from poured concrete slabs, some large 10ft x 10ft and these also have cracks in and
some have moved up/down by 10mm over the years. I think the slabs have been there since the property was built.
If I wanted to get it inspected then who would I get to do it? As Anglian are responsible for the drainage pipes could I get them to have a look?
If you want a proper report then get a (proper, RICS) surveyor involved. It will cost you a few bob.
However, unless there is an issue with the Anglian pipework, they will not help you out.
But as others have mentioned, it sounds like settlement, and nothing to worry about in the slightest.
If it needs attention doesn't your insurance cover it ?
Was a bit worried when I first read this thread title. Very thankful to discover its nothing to do with drugs.
Right, now for the serious bit. We had/have a concrete kitchen floor, in our 1939-built house, and used to have cork tiles glued on to an old
black-&-white tile-chequered floor. After a few years, these tiles started to blacken. Gotta builder in to check it out. He said, "You gotta
ruptured membrane, squire!". So, I enquired what would be involved in fixing the problem.
"Simple. All you need is a new, modern membrane, and, of course, a new concrete floor".
Oh yes - and a new kitchen!!!
Everything had to be cleared out of said kitchen, to give the builders unimpeded access, and to carry out their work. And they did a great job. Its
one I might have tackled, when younger, but was happy to pay someone more experienced to do it.
So I reckon you got a membrane problem, which will require the work I described above. Either that, or spend a little money on some laminate flooring,
to cover the crack.
Best of luck with it.
quote:
Originally posted by Irony
Currently having a new kitchen in my 50's 60's end of terrace and I took up the lino from the floor and found two layers of plastic tiles. Under the plastic tiles is a concrete floor which to my horror is cracked. The the crack is at one end of the kitchen which is about 8ft x 12ft in size (the kitchen not the crack). The crack runs across the eight foot length from wall to wall. There are other cracks centred around the centre leading off the main one. Where the crack goes to the outer walls there is ZERO evidence of cracks up the walls on the inside or the outside. The concrete floor seems to be separate from the brickwork as it seems to end 1-2mm short of the bricks.
Something major has happened to the concrete floor in the past to create such a crack. At some points is 2-3mm across and you can see down it maybe 30mm. However there is no evidence of wall damage.
Has anyone got any advice on this? I am worried sick about it as I just haven't the money to fund any foundation based repairs. But if it is structural then I need to do something.
Around the outside of my house the drive levels have moved by a couple of inches in places, in the garden you can see where dirt placed over pipes
over the last 30 years has compressed, all of this is normal and nothing to worry about.
Only purchased the house in the last few months and we paid for a full survey, the report came back clean, just advised remove a couple of trees and
made note of settlement.
Our neighbours have redone their own drive twice now, the houses were built on a field in 1983.
Having lived in a house that needed underpinning what you have described is nothing to worry about, as you only noticed by lifting the floor implies
that it has not moved recently or you do notice these things.
I think we need to see some pictures
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
just sweep some dry cement into the crack until it is full then leave it. nothing to worry about
As a Chartered Surveyor regularly dealing with these issues I would not be overly concerned. Many of the comments above are on the right lines. I
would be surprised if you are in for anything other than a cosmetic repair from your description.
Crucial information is the floor is separate from the walls which show no damage, you did not know it was there until the surface was removed and the
crack is not big in the overall scheme of things.
Its not something your insurance would normally cover if not affercting the walls.
If you want piece of mind find a good experienced local surveyor - RICS or a structural engineer who normally deals with residential property.
Martyn
Personally agree with pretty much everything everyone else has said.
All I'll add is take photos now, with stick of inches across the gap at more than one location, that way
when/if you check condition at a later date you have something better than memory to compare with.
Thanks for all the replies. I shall post up some photos tonight when I get home.
Have been doing some work on a mates Bungalow and his Kitchen floor sounds just like your issue.
We just grooved it out and filled it, its now tiled over and has been fine.
If the cracks wide enough to get your foot in, well that's a different matter 
As above, I fit kitchens, and come across this problem all the time, its very rare to find a 100% perfect floor/slab, I get over cracks etc with a
good quality self leveller, poor a bit into the crack and let it settle and then use the rest to flatten the floor out where required......
Cheers Mark