First time buyer vertical cracks in exterior brick wall

Farside

jamie9090 wrote: »

There are no trees nearby but there are drains in the area below where the cracks are.

It's really frustrating as apart from this it is our ideal home and we have been looking for 2 years

If this is subsidence what are our options (other than walking away)?

We could try renegotiating the price but how would I find out what the repair will cost? Will a surveyor be able to tell me this?

Will we be able to get buildings insurance to cover this?

Thanks

tbh it'll cost you a lot to fix, i'm not a structural surveyor but my friend is hence why i know some things about looking for it. You should employ a structural surveyor to check it properly, they should be able to tell you what it needs to repair it and should be able to give you recommendations on who to use. I doubt insurance will cover it as its already happened now, if you bought the house then insured it first then it happened you would be, but not now.


You should also find out who repointed the wall (the mortar)... and shoot them lol. that looks a right mess. Messy repointing drops the value on houses.

jamie9090

Just had the surveyors report:

The main walls are formed of 300mm thick cavity brickwork. When originally constructed the walls will not have had a dry layer of insulation fitted, however, there are indications that this has been added subsequently. Legal advisers should confirm that satisfactory documentation is in place. Please see our comments below under Section I.

The cavity walls of this property are formed in two leaves which are usually held together with metal wall ties. The metal ties used in properties built before the early 1980s were prone to corrosion which, if significant, could lead to structural movement. However, no signs of wall tie failure were found and when considering the property's construction and the local environment, we consider the risk of such failure to be small. No further action is necessary at this stage although it is advisable to have the walls periodically checked, every 5 - 10 years by a registered cavity wall tie replacement company, or a chartered building surveyor.

General brickwork repairs are required in various locations, for example to minor settlement cracking over the rear door and kitchen window openings, the former having a deflected lintel which may require additional attention. There is also an expansion crack to the side elevation, underneath the stairwell window, and again brickwork repair is required here. Previous repointing have suffered from thermal shrinkage. Internally there are no signs of movement to the load bearing inner skin of the cavity brickwork walling. The cracking is considered old and generally nonprogressive, however the expansion cracking, by it's nature, may move slightly with seasonal variations, but this will be minor and would have to be accepted if you proceed with the purchase. Old rigid repairs have failed in the past, so a flexible form of sealant is recommended. Another area where brickwork attention is necessary is where the boiler flue exits the wall.

Adequate airbricks are provided to allow for ventilation beneath the suspended timber ground floor. We would stress that we cannot confirm that there are no hidden sub-floor blockages. The damp-proof course is formed of bitumastic felt, not having the full 150mm minimum recommended ground clearance in all areas, although generally performing satisfactorily.

High damp meter readings were, however, taken by the external kitchen door, and we did note that the rainwater downpipe passes beneath the conservatory in this area. It should also be appreciated that timber floors in contact with damp walls can also be prone to deterioration.

This dampness should be inspected by a suitably qualified Damp and Timber Specialist (associated to the Property Care Group) and all recommended improvements/repairs attended to. This work should be covered by long term, insurance backed guarantees.

Condition Rating 3. (Further Investigation).

jamie9090

I spoke to him specifically about this crack and he said that it is not subsidance. He said it is an expansion crack at the weakest point of the wall and it will expand and contract periodically so needs a flexible sealant otherwise it will keep cracking. He said he would be surprised to see a clay brick house of this age without similar cracks. He said there is no damage internally and it is the internal walls that support the structure of the house so he doesn't think it needs any further investigation.

jamie9090

Should I be reassured by this then as the work suggested seems to be fairly superficial (certainly not as severe as subsidance)?

SantaKlaus

jamie9090 wrote: »

I spoke to him specifically about this crack and he said that it is not subsidance. He said it is an expansion crack at the weakest point of the wall and it will expand and contract periodically so needs a flexible sealant otherwise it will keep cracking. He said he would be surprised to see a clay brick house of this age without similar cracks. He said there is no damage internally and it is the internal walls that support the structure of the house so he doesn't think it needs any further investigation.

If you have this report then go for it, if it all fails in the future then you can blame the surveyor.


But yeah if you see vertical cracks on both the outside and inside then run a mile.

Seabee42

Lets assume he is correct and its not subsidence. The big worry is 1) someone tried to fix it before and it failed. To actually fail and break a brick (as opposed to the mortar) implies either very poor bricks or a lot of force.

2) If you try and repair this and it fails as before (all be it using a flexible sealant) what are you going to do?

Sadly this house is cheaper for a reason hence why it is ticking the boxes only you can decide whether the risk is worth it. Others have suggested it would not suit them and you can expect similar from future potential buyers.

jamie9090

He initially left me a voicemail and his words were:

"I'm quite comfortable about that, it looks long term, old expansion cracking. It's the weakest part of the wall in a long stretch of brickwork which today would have an expansion joint in it but doesn't because of the age so I'm not overly concerned about that"

I_have_spoken

"I'm quite comfortable about that, ...

It's not his money though, is it?

Yorkie1

TBH, I think his report is pretty reassuring.

He has done a proper inspection of the property and given you specific advice on these issues.

We have only seen the piccies and (I suspect most, if not all) are not qualified people.

If you want further reassurance then a structural engineer is the way to go.

mystic_trev

As others have said, you really need to have a full structural survey. Unfortunately, this won't be cheap. However you might be able to mitigate your costs with a lower offer.