Everyone wants the new kitchen. Nobody wants to hear about the crack running up from the corner of the bay window. But after this summer, the crack matters more. Construction Management reports that England and Wales just had the driest July since records began, almost two centuries ago, and housing stock built for a different climate is struggling to cope.
Round Cranleigh, that bites harder than most places. Much of the Surrey and Sussex Weald sits on clay, and clay shrinks when it dries out. Thirsty trees make it worse. A mature oak a few metres from the gable, along Knowle Lane or out towards Ewhurst, can pull a surprising amount of water from the soil. Older houses on shallow strip foundations, maybe 450mm deep or less, move first.
Look for stepped cracks following the mortar joints, doors that suddenly stick, and gaps opening between the wall and the window frame. Anything wider than about 3mm is worth getting looked at. Don’t skim over it with filler and carry on. Monitor it with tell-tales across a month or two, and speak to your insurer early.
It changes how you plan the renovation as well. Before you rip out the kitchen, sort the structure. New openings need properly sized lintels, any underpinning wants an engineer’s design, and if you’re adding an extension, the foundations should go below the influence of nearby tree roots. That’s often 1.5m or more on shrinkable clay. Do it in the right order and the plaster won’t crack in a year.
ABC Building have been working in Cranleigh, Guildford and Horsham for over 30 years, and they’ll tell you what’s going on behind the plaster before they quote. Take a look at abcbuildingcranleigh.co.uk/, or ring the team to talk through your property renovations.