HAIR LINE CRACKS IN BRICKS

[jone]

I HAVE NOTICED SOME CRACKS IN THE BRICKS IN THE HOUSE IM BUYING. THE CRACKS FOLLOW THE POINTING IN GENERAL MAYBE HALF A METER BUT 2 OF THE BRICKS HAVE CRACKED THRU THE CENTRE NOT MUCH MAYBE SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN HAIRLINE?? THE CRACK APPEARS MIDWAY BETWEEN THE UPSTAIR BEDROOM WINDOW AND THE LOUNGE WINDOW ON THE GROUND FLOOR WELL AWAY FROM THE BRICKS THAT SURROUND THE WINDOW FRAMES.
COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THE WINDOWS WERE PUT IN OR IS IT ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT MAY NEED LOOKING AT. ALSO HOW EASY IS IT TO REMOVE INDIVIDUAL BRICKS AND REPLACE??

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP ON THIS

 

[noseall]

it sounds like a bit of settlement to me. unless there is a history of subsidence in your area then the only way to monitor the crack is with time and diligence. if the cracks don't get any worse in say, a couple more years then put it down to settlement.

bricks can be drilled or hammered out and replaced easily. best to be sympathetic with the choice of brick and sand type or it will stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[jone]

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OR IS IT THE SAME THING.
THERE IS A HISTORY OF SUBSIDENCE IN THE AREA IN FACT MOST OF LONDON HAS THIS PROBLEM BUT I SUPPOSE SOME AREAS ARE WORSE THAN OTHERS AS THE MORTGAGE INSURANCE FLAGGED IT AND ARE MAKING A DECISION ON IT. WITH HOUSES GOING QUICKLY AND NOT GETTING ANY CHEAPER I DONT THINK I HAVE MUCH CHOICE BUT TO BUY IT OR BE LEFT BEHIND. ALL ADVICE TAKEN.

THANKS
_____________________________
Lynda, moderator

please turn caps lock off, see forum rule 6

 

[DSA]

How old is the property? If the crack has appeared in the brickwork more than 10 years post construction, then it is very unlikely to be Settlement (Effectively the house sinking into the ground on which it is bearing).

I would think that subsidence is a much more likely cause. You really need to try and gauge the age of the crack, and note if it is getting wider/longer. Does it propagate to the inside of the property? and when was that room last decorated?

You may not know the answers to those questions, but they would help to age the problem.

In all fairness, replacing the brick/s is not getting to the root cause of the problem. If the subsidence has stopped, then that may be the way forward, but I would recommend that you try and fix the problem first e.g. large tree sucking water out of ground below foundations/leaking drain causing heave.

David

N.B. Disclaimer: I am certainly not qualified in this area, however have received some tuition on this sort of thing, and so are just passing on some information. I recommend you take professional advice from a Chartered Engineer before proceeding if you are unsure (even if the Mortgage Lender allows it).

 

[^woody^]

Hairline cracks between/under windows are very common may be due to a number of things, and on their own they are not really a concern.

This area of brickwork is relatively weak, and so any normal movement tends to show up here first.

If there are no corresponding cracks inside, and if there are no other significant cracks on this elevation then some seasonal expansion/contraction of the brickwork is the most likely cause. Alternatively some minor flexing of the lintel support if steel.

 

[Nige F]

Luftwaffe

 

[jone]

The house is a 1930s terrace the bricks are lying in the same direction around the window frames on all the houses on the street so i was wondering do they not need lintels??
or are they hidden as i cant see anything that looks like a lintel.

 

[^woody^]

From that age, the bricks would be built off a concrete lintel internally and either tied to it, or built off the frame externally.

Unless you post an image of the general area of the wall and or elevation, then there will be not enough detail to make any further meaningful comment.