Hi,
I am in the process of purchasing a 1930's semi and have noticed that in the external wall at the back of the property there is a visible crack above one of the downstairs uPVC windows (the kitchen one).
There's a row of vertical bricks just above the window and the crack seems to start at the very end of this row of bricks and then continues along the two bricks above it in the shape of "steps". The crack has been filled by the owner with what looks like cement. There is no other crack below the window and the crack itself does not seem to go very far up (just 2 bricks above where the lintel should be).
Do you think this could become an issue later on? Could the crack expand even more? What would you say it's causing ?
Many thanks in advance for your help, I really appreciate it!
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
If you are buying the house you should be having a survey done,
If there are any underlying problem this should show on the report.
It’s most likely a settlement crack that has formed at some point in time when the building has moved slightly, these aren’t generally anything to be worried about and can be raked out and repointed.
My advice is to have the crack checked on the surveyors report, this will give you all the details you need to know how to proceed.
Good Morning Steff, some cracks are normal due to natural movement within the house, new builds are known to settle in and older buildings would have moved in time but the best thing you can do is have a surveyor round to look, when buying a house this is advised and you can mention your concerns and they will make sure to look at it and give you guidance. For your reference my house have a couple of little cracks but they are just natural.
Kind regards
Ashley
Hi Steff,
If the property is of age then the chances of a lintel not being in place could be your answer. Structual engineers and us experienced builders would only become concerned if a pencil could pass through the crack in question. To install a Catnic lintel depending on size and difficulty to access (I,e above garage) would range from £500-£1000 + VAT this should include some minor patch work internally as the plaster work will be affected. It’s not a huge expense but please bare in mind if one no: lintel is missing the chances are none of your windows and doors will have them installed. Building regulations these days require a lintel but it’s not the end of the world if an older property does not have them in place as load bearings works in triangles so your house is more then structurally safe. Maybe some stitching bar and re —point will be more cost effective for now and see what happens later on down the line. I hope this helps and please don’t be put off buying a house if this is your only concern but as mentioned above a surveyor will point out all these issues for you and may give some wiggle room on the purchase. All the best,
Mike
1st Choice Building Services Ltd
Answered29 August 2020
0
Anonymous user
The cracking is due to corrosion off the steel lintel that the vertical brick course(soldier course) sits on this needs to be replaced as it will expand quite considerably causing further movement.
If you are buying the property then your survey should indicate this problem and to say what the problem is and if this is a worry.
Personally I don’t think this is a problem has you say it’s only two bricks high. If in doubt then have a structural engineer go over this to give you piece of mind.
The first thing to do is repoint the brickwork if it isn't a really big crack. It's possibly been like that for a long time .The other option is take away some of the old brickwork and rebuild it.
When the house was built the timber window would've acted as the little.It may be the case that a helibar system needs installing. This would stop the crack travelling
Answered30 August 2020
0
Anonymous user
Doesn’t sound like much to be worried about but I would get it repointed and Have it looked at.
