It’s important to notice defects in your home as soon as possible, including when it comes to your walls. This is not only important so that issues can be addressed promptly and to prevent any problems worsening, but it’s often imperative from a safety perspective. This applies primarily to exterior walls but can be a pressing issue when you find interior wall defects (which we’ll also touch on).
This guide will explore five common wall defects and discuss why they might happen. One way or another, if you notice any defects with your home’s external or internal walls (or any other structural defects with your property), be sure to hire a professional ASAP.
External Walls Damp
One of the most common causes of wall defects is external wall damp. This problem can arise due to a failing damp proof course. Alternatively, the DPC may bridge.
However, the initial causes usually come down to heavy rain or issues with your guttering or downpipes. This is usually the result of what’s called penetrating damp. You may notice this with stains on masonry and brickwork and plants such as moss growing on your home’s exterior.
Alternatively, rising damp may be the issue. This involves moisture rising up through external walls through the ground. This occurs due to capillary action. Signs of rising damp on external walls may include tide marks appearing halfway up your home, white salt residue on the external wall, or rotting/decaying wood that crosses the affected wall.
Wall Finish Issues
Another wall defect to watch out for is issues with the finish. This may come in the form of the wall finishing falling off entirely, cracking, bulging with a hollow base, or loosening. Alternatively, tiles or finishes can debond from the wall. This will lead to a hollow sound if gently tapped using a hammer.
When wall finish issues are external, they tend to be the result of blocked or leaking pipes, blocked gutters, or damage caused by heavy rain or a flood. In the case of indoor walls, damp issues (i.e. too much moisture in the air) is usually the cause. However, a poor installation or improper maintenance can also lead to interior wall finish issues.
It’s worth discussing issues with moisture/damp in more detail. This can result from a wide range of sources including:
- Poor ventilation (e.g. lack of extractor fans)
- Lack of wall insulation
- Poorly insulated windows
There can be many other causes of moisture/damp, so consider hiring a professional to evaluate your home if needed.
Paint Peeling
While this may fit in the above section, paint peeling deserves a mention in its own right. As you’d imagine, too much moisture in the air tends to be the cause here. Should high moisture become trapped within the paint film, it will push it outwards causing it to peel off.
Whether it be paint peeling or indoor wall finish issues in general, it’s important that the root cause is fixed before re-applying the paint or finish. Regardless, we’d advise hiring a professional to fix wall defects, although this is especially important in cases where your property’s structural integrity is at stake – and to reiterate, these cases require hiring a professional ASAP.
Mortar Erosion
While less common, another issue you’ll want to look out for is mortar erosion in your home’s exterior walls. Unfortunately, this is also a serious issue that needs to be addressed right away by professionals.
The full process leading to this problem can entail too much moisture entering a wall, freezing on various occasions, and causing mortar and brick to spall as frozen water expands. However, just one of these issues alone can lead to mortar alone with two or all three of these problems resulting in mortar erosion.
Signs of mortar erosion include:
- Crumbling mortar on your home
- Little or no mortar visible where it has been worn between your home’s bricks
Walls Cracking or Leaning
Lastly, your home’s external walls may crack or lean. This may be due to issues with your home’s foundations. However, expansive soil, drainage issues, insufficient waterproofing, vibration, severe wind, and other problems may explain these issues.
Wall cracks can be obvious; however, wall cracks may not always be large and in your face. Others include stair-step cracks, hairline cracks, vertical cracks, horizontal cracks, and nail pops in drywall (i.e., small circles protruding out of your wall). Wall leaning can be evident by one end of a wall standing taller than the other.
In either case, a significant wall crack or any sign of wall leaning should be addressed by a professional ASAP. Even small cracks should be looked at promptly as you never know whether they’re a sign of a more serious, underlying problem that relates to your property’s structural integrity.
Hiring a Professional
As touched on, where there is any sign of structural defect with your property, you must hire a professional ASAP. Costs will vary depending on the repair required. For example, the average room plastering costs around £500, whereas foundational repairs can cost thousands of pounds.
Of course, leaving wall defects unresolved can inevitably lead to more expensive repairs down the line or may even cause a danger to life should part of the property collapse entirely, which can happen.