Does this crack look serious? (pics)

rileydog

I was hoping for opinions on whether this crack looks as though it may be structural and therefore I need to take action, or whether it's likely to just be a cosmetic issue.

My garage is attached to the wall of my living room, in the corner there is a large (approx 6 foot long) crack. This crack is on both sides. On the garage side it starts at the ceiling and extends down about 6 foot, on the living room side it starts at the top and extends most of the way down, the line seems to follow a different path to the garage ie the garage side zig-zags and the living room side is straighter.

Any thoughts on whether it's likely to be structural issue or cosmetic?

Many Thanks

callmechar

How wide is the crack? I am no structural engineer but it looks structural to me rather than cosmetic. Especially as it inside and out

Mojisola

I'd be worried. It looks as if the wall is pulling away.

How long has it taken for it to get to this stage?

jcb208

The wall has moved a bit,the blocks are very weak any how so slightest movement and they do crack.If it stays the same without furfer movement you could just remove the cracked blocks and replace ,not that hard and saves contacting the insurer as they will put a marker on the property even If its not that bad.Insurace then from other companys will be hard to get

andyhop

Looks wider at the top than at the bottom. I would suggest getting your insurance or a specialist to inspect rather than views on a forum!

missindecisive

Not an expert but it does look to me as though it is serious, possibly your garage is sinking , seek help from a professional

anotherbaldrick

Get it looked at by a professional, that's not cosmetic.

rileydog

Thanks all, sounds like the consensus is it definitely needs looking at by a professional! I'm a bit clueless when it comes to house related stuff so didn't want to get a builder in if it was obvious to a DIY minded person that it was cosmetic.

To answer the Q's....

Callmechar - The crack on the garage side is probably 6-7mm at it's widest, on the living room side it's 1-2mm wide.

Mojisola - it's hard to say how long it's been there but I'd say a few years

Another Q then...

Would the sort of work needed to fix this mean that I'd have to move out while it was done?

2013yearofthehouse

Has something been changed or repaired? Two of the blocks and the mortar around them look a different colour to the rest.

jcb208

The insurer would monitor it for several months to see If its still moving,If not the blocks would be stiched or replaced as there visable.If the wall is still moving they will proberbly underpin the garage wall.How long has the crack been there and is it getting worse

jcb208

2013yearofthehouse wrote: »

Has something been changed or repaired? Two of the blocks and the mortar around them look a different colour to the rest.

good spot those blocks have been replaced before