Settlement Cracks in Stairs and Steps
Settlement Cracks in Stairs and Steps is a moderate-severity soil & foundation defect SURE inspectors have documented across 6 inspection reports.
Causes
- Subsequent movement to building materials
- Settlement in the building
- differential settlement
- inadequate foundation
- Ground movement
Symptoms to look for
- Doors binding or being out of square
- Visible cracks in stair/step treads.
- Cracking to walls (category 0 to 2)
Remedies
- Engage a structural engineer for further investigation if cracks increase in size
- Engage a qualified brick layer or concreter for advice and recommendations.
- Engage a painter to patch and paint
- Monitor all cracks
Worth asking our inspector about this specifically.
This is common across Perth stock and usually fixable without drama, but the scope of the fix varies. Every SURE inspection includes 12 months of free advice. Call out the defect by name and we check for it directly.
Curated entries in Soil & foundation
- Curated 1–4/5Trees in Close Proximity to Dwelling
Large trees within the foraging radius of the dwelling - typically any tree within 3 m for small species, or within 10 m for large eucalypts - introduce two distinct risks: root-driven soil moisture fluctuation that causes differential footing movement on reactive clay, and a direct termite foraging corridor between a timber food source in the crown or root system and the building structure. Neither defect is always present, but the proximity constitutes a conducive condition that warrants ongoing monitoring.
- Curated 2–5/5Reactive Clay Soil Movement Affecting Foundation
Seasonal expansion and contraction of reactive clay soils causing cyclical foundation movement, wall cracking, and floor level changes. Prevalent in Sydney Western Suburbs and some Perth clay zones. Severity depends on soil class (H, H1, H2, E) and footing design adequacy.