Bay Window Help - Cracked Internal Wall

[andyman5002]

Hi all! First post here!

I have just bought my first house and I am in the process of stripping everything ready for decorating. As part of this I am uncovering a whole host of things I missed!

Upon stripping the wallpaper in the bedroom I noticed a lot of filler had been used on the bay window walls, it was caulk type filler. I cut this out and it has revealed a rather large crack, about 2 cm wide running from the window cill to floor boards gradually getting narrower.

It looks like the internal brick wall is coming away from the external if that makes sense?

Can anyone advise on what I should do? I can't see any cracking from the outside but I will double check this.

Can the internal wall be tied back to the external? Can I just fill with mortar once tied back?

The plaster is blown in most of the room so I will probably take it all back to brick which im sure will show up even more issues!

Pictures to follow, any advice appreciated!

Cheers
Andy

 

[^woody^]

Lots of threads on this.

Either you have replacement plastic windows which are inadequate, or have allowed the wall to drop when fitted and are OK now

Or the foundation has or is moving.

If the paper was not new and was not cracked, then there is a chance that the crack is historic and can be just filled with a suitable repair

 

[andyman5002]

Thanks for the reply woody. I did read quite a few existing (worrying) threads and they all had a similar theme in that they were cracking outwards/perpendicular as though the bay area was falling away from the house. This seems different as the inner skin of brick along the two shortest edges running outwards is leaning / cracking 180degrees / parallel with the main house wall?

I should be able to get photos tonight which might explain better than I can. I will probably try what you have suggested but wanted to see if there was a way of supporting the inner skin before I get it all rendered and skimmed.

I think the paper has been on a while but who knows, the paper was intact.

Cheers
Andy

 

[andyman5002]

That probably makes no sense, its too early ha

It's a 1956 semi too

 

[andyman5002]

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Here's some pictures. So it looks like it's an inner brick skin resting on the joists?!

It seems to be completely separate from the main house walls? Looking under the floor boards the brick doesn't continue - see photos. The whole skin can be moved fairly easy!

It seems to be tied with some sort of steel wire? Has anyone come across this before? The outside looks fine?

Can I simply fill the crack or should the brick not even be there?! Does it need the steel wire replacing to bring the wall level again?

Sorry for all the questions just worried!

Cheers
Andy

 

[^woody^]

If the inner skin is sound, then you could hack out the plaster and screw straps to it.

For that cracked window reveal, is not a structural issue, but you have the outside wall on the inside, despite there being a DPC there. You need to line it with a DPC or membrane and best to add some insulation too before plasterboarding.

 

[andyman5002]

Thanks for taking the time to edit that! You have somewhat put my mind at ease now!

Makes sense to me now. I'm glad its not structural! Not convinced the bricks are in the best condition, downstairs they are loose and I suspect the same upstairs.

So line the reveal with DPC of some sort and the insulate that whole wall / reveal / bay with knauf plasterboard or similar?

Andy