Front window bay wall help please.......

[Rogers]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum and I was wondering if someone could help me please. I have looked at a property that I really like to make an offer, only problem is that I noticed a crack in the front bay window wall. Please see the image below. Is this due to subsidence? There is also a tree close by and I am concerned that this is due to movement. The brick work does not look good either. I would greatly appreciate any comments on this. Thanking you in advance.

Untitled

• Rogers
• 28 Sep 2009
• 2

Untitled

• Rogers
• 28 Sep 2009
• 2

 

[r896neo]

Your right to be vigilant as that repointing could suggest problems. Is the rest of the house pointed with that colour mortar or has that area been patched?

Its hard to see from the photo's if the bricks are cracked too they just look a little spalled. If there are any cracks through bricks it's worth getting a survey.

A few more photo's of the tree and driveway would help

 

[lostinfens]

From what I can see of the pictures posted, the crack looks quite small. What type of bay -is it semi circular? How old is the property?
On older properties, it's not unusual for cracks on bays particularly semi circular or half round because they're built in half bats & not as structurally sound as 9" or stretcher bond as a result. Is the cracking visible internally?
Has the property been visited by "Window Fitters"!!? They can often have a detrimental effect.
Can you post a better photo, as I said from the existing photos the cracks appear fairly innoccuos

 

[Rogers]

Thanks for that. Rest of the house is not pointed with that colour mortar and I could not find any other cracks anywhere else either. I'll try and get few more photos. Thanks

 

[Rogers]

Hi, bay is a semi circular. The property is probably buitl in the 1940s (guessing here). Cracks are not visible internally. I am not sure about the window fitters. I'll try and get a close when I visit the property again. Just worried that if the survey reveals any movement, I will struggle to get insurance from the main stream insurance companies . Thanks for your comment.

 

[stuart45]

The cracks don't look too serious to me either. The cracks in the pointing could be due to a strong mix being used and the joints look like they were not raked out properly before re-pointing. Freezing temperatures will often do this to the pointing. Small amounts of movement are common in bays as the footings were often shallow.

 

[Rogers]

Thanks for your comments so far. Has anyone noticed a crack on the skirting underneath the wall as well? sorry the picture is not that clear.

 

[lostinfens]

As Stuart points out, bay windows often don't have very good founds. Basically because there's often very little weight on them. This bay may have been built on very little if any foundation. As it is abutting a house considerably bigger than itself then any movement , expansion etc would affect it first .
The rendered plinth doesnt look too bad. If there was a shift in the foundation, then the cracks would get progressivly bigger higher up.
Evidence of the dreaded window fitters is generally shiny new plastic windows - and damaged brickwork of course

 

[cmother1]

That white pointing looks dead original to me. It's exactly the same as all the 30's houses around here, only used under bay windows, and falls out as soon as you look at it. The only newer stuff I can see is a couple of verticals re-done just above the render.

 

[^woody^]

The cracking is common stress cracking due to natural expansion /contraction and looks quite old. The wall has naturally moved sideways, and not unnaturally moved down

The mortar seems to have been repointed badly in the past, and so is falling out - it was not raked out enough. Or it could be original and it's a design thing - it was pointed in different mortar to that which the bricks were laid with

There is nothing serious there