Cracks in brick garage wall

[AliciaW]

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My detached brick garage used to have a wooden window frame which some years ago was replaced with a UPVC one. Cracks have been appearing in the brickwork next to the window over the last few years and are getting wider. A bricklayer said he thought it was because there is no lintel above the window. Is there a way to tell if that is the case or the foundations have moved (and its nothing to do with the absence of a lintel?) There is a shrub at the corner of the garage but no trees.

 

[AliciaW]

This is the shrub.

 

[George_engineer]

Do the cracks extend to the foundations? If not then it is unlikely to be the foundations.

 

[cdbe]

You do need a lintel, but it's absence is unlikely to be the cause of that movement.

 

[AliciaW]

You do need a lintel, but it's absence is unlikely to be the cause of that movement.

Thank you, I'll probably demolish it then.

 

[cdbe]

Bit extreme, unless you don't want it anyway, it's probably repairable but would require investigation to determine the cause etc and whether it's continuing. You could probably claim on your house insurance but of course that does open up the "subsidence" can of worms.

 

[AliciaW]

Do the cracks extend to the foundations? If not then it is unlikely to be the foundations.

It's hard to tell. There are some thin cracks in the cement below the window, but they don't go lower then 3 bricks from the ground.

Bit extreme, unless you don't want it anyway, it's probably repairable but would require investigation to determine the cause etc and whether it's continuing. You could probably claim on your house insurance but of course that does open up the "subsidence" can of worms.

I don't have a car and only use the garage for storing gardening stuff so the best option for me is probably to have it taken down and get a good shed.

 

[Stuart981]

Did it have a steel crittall window.

 

[foxhole]

Put a level on left hand wall too see if it’s bulging?

 

[Dereekoo]

Put a level on left hand wall too see if it’s bulging?

Or sloping. Your cracked garage will be better than a shed

 

[SFK]

This seems unlikley but here goes...

I think that triangle of bricks actually moved right into the space where the window is.
The wood lintel above the old window (and teh old window itself) has been removed (you can see the bits where it used to be).
The roof joists above that have started to drop into teh window space (you can see the bricks bulging down).
These droped josts are putting extra load onto their neigghbouring josts, whcih are sitting ontop of the bricks to the left of teh window.
That is pulling a triangle of bricks to the right towards the window.

I would keep the garage.
- Acrow props in the garage behind the the window,
- Use the props to lift the josts up off the window,
- take away the line of bricks above wndow and
- put in a concrete lintel or even a good thick sized length of wood to act as a lintel.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=lintel

Sfk

 

[opps]

I don't have a car and only use the garage for storing gardening stuff so the best option for me is probably to have it taken down and get a good shed.

Beyond my area of "expertise" but that sounds a very expensive option.

 

[cdbe]

This seems unlikley but here goes...

I think that triangle of bricks actually moved right into the space where the window is.
The wood lintel above the old window (and teh old window itself) has been removed (you can see the bits where it used to be).
The roof joists above that have started to drop into teh window space (you can see the bricks bulging down).
These droped josts are putting extra load onto their neigghbouring josts, whcih are sitting ontop of the bricks to the left of teh window.
That is pulling a triangle of bricks to the right towards the window.

I would keep the garage.
- Acrow props in the garage behind the the window,
- Use the props to lift the josts up off the window,
- take away the line of bricks above wndow and
- put in a concrete lintel or even a good thick sized length of wood to act as a lintel.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=lintel

Sfk

I initially wondered the same, but the crack continues below the window, and the gap at the end of the fascia gives a clue as to what's moved. It might well be that it's finished it's settlement so personally I'd point up the crack and give it a year or two - nothing to lose.