Crack in wall

[neil100]

Hi all,

I have a crack in my brick veneer house that starts at the bottom of an
external rear wall and travels fairly straight up for about 10-11 ft.

It has been there for as long as we have had the house (5 years), but wasn't mentioned on the building inspection report. the house is around 30 years old.

Does anyone have a view as to what might be causing it, and also what is the best trade to get in to have a look and identify the cause and any risk ?

Thanks all
Neil

 

[Annietom]

could be a few things, maybe something hit it from outside, maybe subsidence, maybe a structural defect. Can you see the crack in the plaster inside???

 

[neil100]

could be a few things, maybe something hit it from outside, maybe subsidence, maybe a structural defect. Can you see the crack in the plaster inside???

No, no cracks inside, as the cracks go up
they get narrower and narrower.

I think previous owners have had issues
with water from the neighbors property running
down the side of the house where this crack is.

Would this be a job for a builder or structural engineer?

Cheers.
Neil

 

[BV]

I think previous owners have had issues
with water from the neighbors property running
down the side of the house where this crack is.

That explains it.

No, no cracks inside, as the cracks go up
they get narrower and narrower.
Would this be a job for a builder or structural engineer?

If their opinion is free then you can ask them, but it seems like a minor issue to me and I wouldn't worry about it.
How wide is the crack?
You could probably get some coloured gap filler and close it up.

 

[neil100]

Hi BV

That explains it.

Do you think the water has caused some subsidence or just water absorption and drying out has cracked the bricks and mortar?

If their opinion is free then you can ask them, but it seems like a minor issue to me and I wouldn't worry about it.
How wide is the crack?
You could probably get some coloured gap filler and close it up.

The crack at its widest is probably 4-5 mm, after about 3 or 4 bricks from the bottom it narrows to 1-2mm.

Thanks
Neil

 

[BV]

Do you think the water has caused some subsidence or just water absorption and drying out has cracked the bricks and mortar?

I think it will be subsidence.
Is it a brick veneer house and how is the floor?

The crack at its widest is probably 4-5 mm, after about 3 or 4 bricks from the bottom it narrows to 1-2mm.

It doesn't sound like its something worth worrying about.
If the water problems have been eliminated I'd fill the gaps up with some matching colour gap filler.

 

[Propertunity]

If the water problems have been eliminated I'd fill the gaps up with some matching colour gap filler.

I had much the same issue on one of my properties. 2 years ago I filled the cracks with filler as BV suggested and monitored any changes....nothing for a while.....then lots of wet weather and the gaps started closing and squeezing the filler back out

In my case I have concluded that, that part of the house is on a reactive clay soil that swells and contracts with moiture content. Also there is a big tree next door that sucks lots of water out of the soil in drier times which makes it worse.

 

[BV]

then lots of wet weather and the gaps started closing and squeezing the filler back out

Hi Alan
Clay soil will do it everytime.
Gap filler is flexible so it can stretch but it doesn't compact.
Cut it with a blade and it should be ok