How to find out if cracks are structural

Use a tuning fork.

hire a professional engineer, who you can recognize by a P.E. after their name.

are these cracks on sheetrock joints or jagged? is it a new building or older? is it a large building or a house?

there's just so much more information needed before anyone can really answer your question.

realdeal777:

1. wall cracks are often, if not generally, caused by foundation settlement
2. many older buildings gradually settle
3. if the cracks are hairline it is not likely to be a serious problem
4. particularly if the floor is level and not separating from the floor at its base

5. but it never hurst to ask the building super about them
6. and to ask the managing agent for a written explanation

7. in my experience most people who use misrepresentation and fraudulent concealment
to cheat people dont and dont like to put things in writing

It's a high rise built in 1960. No one has lived in this unit for over a year. There are cracks on several places, both walls and cieling, mostly straight and not jagged - not sure if it's on sheetrock joints or not. Another unit just 2 floors below this unit didn't have any cracks. I am told they are cosmetic. I don't know what's over the wall, but if it's a plaster, there is a possibility that only the plaster has cracked and not the wall, in which case re-plstering and repainting could do the job...

If in case the walls/cieling itself has structural cracks, will it be the co-op building's responsibility to fix them or the unit owner's? Thanks.

In 1960 most high-rises were still being built with plaster over metal lath, not sheetrock. Later alterations may have either covered this over with sheetrock, or replaced it. Since you don't seem to be able to identify the material on your own, you need to discuss with the super, an architect, and/or a licensed engineer. If the cracks are perfectly straight, it may be as simple as a bad seam taping job, or separation of corner beads. On the other hand, you may be seeing a hairline crack that's opening up again as the building slowly (or not so slowly) sinks into the Hudson.

Take rb345's advice and speak with professionals.

I think by 1960 the only high rises being built with plaster over metal lathe were projects and Mitchell-Lamas.

I always recommend having your property inspected prior to contract signing, even in co-ops. Yes, it can be expensive, but an inspector will be able to get access to the building mechanicals as well as your specific unit. The inspection report, while often full of boilerplate and commonsense information, can act as an owner's manual for your home. Be sure to ask about the cracks when you are interviewing inspectors - in some cases you will want an engineer's report (which is more expensive but more thorough, usually).
Tina Fallon
(Brooklyn broker)

Remember the words of Whitney Houston "CRACK IS WHACK"

If the cracks are geometric in nature, straight lines or 90 degree right angles, then it's a seam. If it is geometric seam, then you have some kind of an issue, possible structural. If they are irregular without a pattern, like tree branches, they are probably cosmetic. Cosmetic is only as deep as the plaster itself, but I would expect a 50 year old building to have finished settling a long time ago. Was there construction nearby? Is it over the new subway?

Are they on an exterior wall? How is the facade? Interior? Was there construction in the next unit? Water leak in the wall?

The unit downstairs probably had it's cracks touched up with a little plaster. So, that's no indicator.

Get a construction engineer to walk through it with you. A real estate broker has no qualification to say if it's structural or not. Don't bet a lot of money on their "knowledge".

But, if it's a building structural problem, it was probably discussed in board minutes, get a copy and read them.

>If the cracks are geometric in nature,

Are fractals not geometric?

another post from huntersburg.

why are you hiding?

aren't you proud?