Cracked render between timber and brick - fixable?

[SJRSJR]

Hello

I've got cracked roughcast render on an upstairs elevation of the house which I think is due to the different expansion/contraction rates of the brick and timber substrate. (It's 1920's brick cavity but many years ago two bay windows were removed and the area below the windows are now timber.) A builder said he would chase out the cracks, fill with resin and blend it all with a Tyrolean finish. I'm wondering if the same would happen and perhaps the only solution would be to replace the timber by brick, which I imagine would be massive job.

I see a lot of composite or cement cladding going up on houses but I'm wary about completely changing the look of the house unless there's no other option. Anyone know if this problem is resolvable? Thanks.

 

[securespark]

Attach a mesh across the area, then render over?

 

[SJRSJR]

Thanks. Do you think it would be sufficient to put it just across the joints or should the render come off all the timber and mesh the whole area? It's quite an exposed elevation.

 

[securespark]

Pictures may help.

 

[SJRSJR]

Sorry for the delay in replying, hope this is adequate.

 

[securespark]

I guess there are no other cracks and the inside is free from cracks too?

I have had cracks in render and plaster sorted out recently. In my case, there were two causes. The first was caused by a 4+m concrete lintel overloaded with weight above, where high density concrete blocks replaced part of a window in the middle of the lintel. Over the decades, the lintel cracked and other less strong blocks and bricks cracked right through, causing cracks to appear in the plaster on the inside and render on the outside.

There were other cracks, which appeared where the substrate changed. In one case this was where brick met timber and where brick met plasterboard.

In both cases, a mesh was affixed over the area where the two met, then area was replastered/ re-rendered.

 

[SJRSJR]

Thanks, that’s helpful. It’s just the outside so I suspect it’s due to the two different materials.

If yours was done recently hopefully it will get through the winter intact.