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  1. #1
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    Walls hairline cracking after two days

    Good day all
    Hope to get some community feedback.
    New house just completing, qconn walls.
    The cement facing has been applied and was complete. But after a day or so hairline cracks atarted appearing, to the consternation of the builder more than me,as many people are looking for house builders around here so this is his chance to get some.
    They say the cracks are likely due to the sand having some salt content. I looked for information on this and found what looks like a informative site (was from another thread on this forum)

    Reasons of Cracks in Buildings | Prevention of Cracks in Building | Cracks in House | Cracks in wall | Cracks in Foundation | Cracks - GharExpert.com

    It mentions that compromised base material could be a cause, wondering if community here has any comment. Of course walls are not load bearing so not an issue there.
    Builders next step is to add a skim coat using Lenko, apparently a skim coat with an adhesive property added, which will seal the walls and stop further cracking.

    Any comments from the community appreciated, thanks in advance.

  2. #2
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    I assume your builder has used the correct adhesive to bond these blocks? I find it very odd you have cracks after only one day..........after 5 years I have 3 hairline cracks on a 200 sqm house...regular mortar is a no no when using qcon style blocks

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat helge's Avatar
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    Working in direct sun ?

    Drying up too fast

    Try sliding a hammer or such across the wall and you should be able to hear if it sticks probably

  4. #4
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    dont worry TOOOOOOOOOO much the village master know all will fix it ,with his magic wall putty,discount for a farang.
    you might get some cracks later on [2-5yrs] through ground movement,a good tile cutter and a tin of TOA acrylic wall filler will do the job.
    i have seen plenty of newly built house's with cracks a good acrylic paint will hide them,you need to check around your window frames.if you dont look after them like almost all thai's you will need to replace them if they are wood after a few yrs.best job we have had done in the past 12yrs.was change them to.uvpc along with good guttering all round.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat Pragmatic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bkkpla View Post
    Walls hairline cracking after two days
    I assume you are talking about the hairline cracks one gets after the rendering has dried? Perfectly normal and are covered after painting.

  6. #6
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pragmatic View Post
    I assume you are talking about the hairline cracks one gets after the rendering has dried? Perfectly normal and are covered after painting.
    Yep. Make sure all rendered walls are primered with a good primer before painting. Recommend TOA Hydro Quick Primer.

  7. #7
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pragmatic View Post
    I assume you are talking about the hairline cracks one gets after the rendering has dried? Perfectly normal and are covered after painting.

    Less forgetting that the wall glazing is more important and standard - making the usual/common hairline imperfections a bit moot.
    Nothing to be concerned about.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bkkpla View Post
    Good day all
    Hope to get some community feedback.
    New house just completing, qconn walls.
    The cement facing has been applied and was complete. But after a day or so hairline cracks atarted appearing, to the consternation of the builder more than me,as many people are looking for house builders around here so this is his chance to get some.
    They say the cracks are likely due to the sand having some salt content. I looked for information on this and found what looks like a informative site (was from another thread on this forum)

    Reasons of Cracks in Buildings | Prevention of Cracks in Building | Cracks in House | Cracks in wall | Cracks in Foundation | Cracks - GharExpert.com

    It mentions that compromised base material could be a cause, wondering if community here has any comment. Of course walls are not load bearing so not an issue there.
    Builders next step is to add a skim coat using Lenko, apparently a skim coat with an adhesive property added, which will seal the walls and stop further cracking.

    Any comments from the community appreciated, thanks in advance.

    Surface cracks form in all concrete jobs. Its not a big deal.

    Dear Angie: I just had a new concrete driveway poured and the very next morning, several cracks showed up in the concrete. My contractor says that this is normal and will not affect the integrity of the concrete. My contractor had a representative from the material supplier come out and take a look and he also said that this was normal.

    Dear James: Unfortunately, cracking is pretty common in concrete, especially during the first 30 days, while it’s curing or setting up. If a contractor does it right and the conditions are ideal, the cracks can be virtually unnoticeable from plain view, except the homeowner’s prudent eye.

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Drying up too fast
    Strong sunlight, warm winds and lack of moisture causes cracks. which will over times expand.

    If he want's your house to advertise his building skills he's failed.

  10. #10
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    Good day, thanks for the reply. They are certainly experienced - as in they have done manty projects and I went to see their work prior to. This was an unpleasant surprise, I will look more into the adhesive they used. For sure cracking a day later was not part of the plan....
    Cheers

  11. #11
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    Thanks for the reply. Indeed it is sunny days now here - tis the season and yes maybe that is a contributing factor? I have to say this is not an area I have expertise in so I am out of my element in terms of cause, how much to be concerned and possible remedies. As mentioned they are doing a final skim coat with a bonding cement and lets see how that comes out.
    Good day

  12. #12
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    Cheers yes indeed cracks in wall masonry is not an unusual thing here - I have seen it everywhere. I actually did not think much of it, but the builder himself was mortified (pardon the pun) as the area has a lot of building going on and many have expressed interest in his work, so with his sign prominently displayed out front he wants to put in a good performance I suspect.
    Indeed paint is a thing I know and a hobby I like so I will be upgrading the paint on a regular enough basis (every 3 years or so) and I did upgrade from the standard aluminum windows to all UPVC so hope they perform as advertised.
    Thanks for the reply

  13. #13
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    Thanks for the reply. Indeed I thought this was the extent of the issue. They are for sure hairline, no gaping 5 cm gouges, just small cracking and I feel the additional bonded coating and the paint will suffice - hope that is it.
    Appreciate the response, cheers

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    Hey thanks for the reminder, paint was delivered to site yesterday and I will look for primer to be sure they are coating it as such - indeed that would be preferable to double coating paint alone.
    Cheers

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    Thanks. Yes one value add this team does that they really got the wife impressed with is that they skim sand the walls to a very velvety (i have to say) smooth finish, not coarse at all when you run your hand over it - exterior walls I am referring to. I am used to stucco homes back in the old country where you could rip your self (or someone else) up pretty good dragging them along the jagged stucco, lol, indeed we used to do that to each other at times.
    Cheers

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    Cheers, yes indeed it seems consensus is 'not a big deal' . As I mention, builder was more worried than me for future business reasons. So seems all will work out well.
    Hope all is well in YVR.
    Thanks

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    Yes well he brought the issue (if it is one, seems possibly not) up with me, showed me what he was talking about and proposed a solution that is in process. So I will not condemn him, but wait and see how we go. This area is very humid and rainy - but yes rainy season has ended and right now it is hot and dry sunny every day so that is life in the tropics (ok by me!). I feel confident that all will work out.
    Cheers

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by bkkpla View Post
    Hey thanks for the reminder, paint was delivered to site yesterday and I will look for primer to be sure they are coating it as such - indeed that would be preferable to double coating paint alone.
    Cheers
    as its already been said A GOOD PRIMER is esncial,but the its most important that you dont let them ADD TOO MUCH WATER,as its easy to paint.

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat Pragmatic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bkkpla View Post
    they skim sand the walls to a very velvety (i have to say) smooth finish, not coarse at all when you run your hand over it
    They use what's called, in the UK, 'washed sand'. The sand is put through a blue netting to sieve out the larger sand particles which causes a rougher finish. The courser sand leftover can be then added to a concrete mix for another job.

  20. #20
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    Indeed primer a must - and they have every reason to do it. Did confirm they use an appropriate primer/sealer for cement then paint.
    Cheers

  21. #21
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    Interestingly enough, they do not do that here. It is sand they use in all aspects of the construction (rough floor, pillars etc used same sand as they are using for finish) but in the final step they actually hand sand the entire surface wall area inside and out to bring it up to a smooth finish. I have seen work like that done while traveling in Greece, Italy etc over the decades but for sure not a common practice anymore I think?
    So the walls are actually smooth to the touch, like sanding a rough piece of wood down to grip standard..it is a great final touch actually.
    The washed sand will probably start to dominate here as the cost of labour increases but for now, they have a team of three ladies that do a real amazing job of it.
    Cheers

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