Cracks in wall what should I do

[toniette1968]

Just wondering if anyone could give me any advice i have cracks in my garden wall i do not know what to do for the best if it needs to be pointed or i need to go to my insurance . Any advice would be grateful. I have one small wall at the top of my garden which started to crack several years ago after my neighbour started building a wall behind on his garden . This wall on a lower level which also started to crack afterwards but I don't know whether the second wall is connected or it just needs pointing. Any advice would be grateful thank you

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Looks like minor downwards foundation movement at the corner.

Garden walls aren’t a building and so don’t have to comply with the same regulations as houses. For that reason the foundations aren’t usually as deep which means there is more risk of movement and cracking. For this reason it’s recommended that movement joints are put in garden walls at a maximum of 6m centres - does your wall have vertical movement joints if longer than this.

Also, it’s been a very dry summer so there’s a higher chance that the ground beneath the foundations may have dried out leading to the soil shrinking and subsequent structural movement. Especially if you have trees nearby and you have clay soil.

Is the wall still upright? I.e. not leaning inwards at all? The corner will help to resist rotation and leaning.

At this stage I’d just keep an eye on it. If caused by the dry summer the cracks might close up by the spring. But the opening and closing might be cyclical.

At the end of the day it’s a garden wall and a bit of minor cracking isn’t the end of the world. Short of underpinning not a lot you can do, although if it is clay soil and you have trees nearby, cutting them down or significantly trimming back often helps.

 

[^woody^]

Also, it’s been a very dry summer

Thay has not just happened this summer!

And how do you know that the top section has not lifted?

 

[^woody^]

It may need more than repointing.

What's on the other side of the wall - where is ground level?

How are the railings fixed, and does the wall move if you rock them - do they rock?

 

[RonnyRaygun]

It may need more than repointing.

What's on the other side of the wall - where is ground level?

How are the railings fixed, and does the wall move if you rock them - do they rock?

That’s why I asked if it was leaning.

Doesn’t look like there has been any horizontal movement at the joint (OP can correct me if wrong) and the diagonal crack pattern several courses down is more indicative of foundation movement than movement at the top.

The original crack might not have happened this summer but there’s a good chance that it has widened.

Also looks like the crack is wider at the top.

Always problematic fixing railings to brickwork though.

 

[^woody^]

That’s why I asked if it was leaning.

Doesn’t look like there has been any horizontal movement at the joint (OP can correct me if wrong) and the diagonal crack pattern several courses down is more indicative of foundation movement than movement at the top.

The original crack might not have happened this summer but there’s a good chance that it has widened.

Also looks like the crack is wider at the top.

Always problematic fixing railings to brickwork though.

If those railings are built into the wall a few course down, and the plate rusted, the top few course will lift just like that, and form a stepped crack just like that. It's very common - more common than the bottom 90% of the wall dropping and the top few course staying there.

Or the railings have flexed the top few course, and frost or soil got in the joint to lift it.

 

[catlad]

Railings have rusted is also where I'm placing my money.

 

[toniette1968]

Thanks for your replys. I will see how the railings are attached tomorrow I think they are screwed into the wall on the top but a few years ago the corner of the top of the wall brick moved awsy slightly so I'm wondering whether this could have started the crack I will photo this and show you tomorrow . It started to crack on the mortar after the top corner of the wall came loose. Thanks I'll show you pics tomorrow .Thanks again much appreciated

 

[toniette1968]

Hi this is the top corner that accidently got knocked a couple of years ago. I always thought that had caused this as the mortar started to crack some time after. The wall is not bowing or anything it is just this crack . Thanks guys