Measuring a crack instead of describing it
Category 2 at one to five millimetres says something. Major does not.
Fully licensed & accredited
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Building & Plumbing Commission -
Australian Society of Building Consultants -
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Building Dispute Practitioners Society
In short: On reactive clay some cracking is expected. The report has to tell you which kind you are looking at.
Why measurement matters
The standard sets out crack categories by width. A measured width tells you whether you are looking at a filler job or an engineer's opinion.
What we recorded
Cracking classified as category 2, between one and five millimetres, alongside other cracking recorded as major on Craigieburn properties.
What the ground is doing
Craigieburn sits on reactive basaltic clay of high plasticity that swells and shrinks with moisture, so seasonal movement is normal here.
What raises concern
Width beyond the category, stepping or displacement across the crack, continuation into the structure, and evidence it is still moving.
What you can control
Keeping moisture even around the footings. Working drainage, downpipes discharging away, and garden beds that do not cycle between soaked and bone dry.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Craigieburn. Licensed building practitioners.
