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Buying house - all lintels cracked
Tony62
Posts: 4 Newbie
Hello,
I'm in the process of buying a detached house. When I first made my offer on the house I didn't notice that the lintels above all of the windows in the house are cracked all the way through. The lintels are made of stone and are about 8 inches high. Some of the lintels are cracked in two places. Some of the cracks have been filled in by the seller and others not. They are not wide cracks. I would say maximum 1mm gap but they are all the complete height of the lintels. The lintels have steel supports underneath.
The house is 15 years old and built with stone. I don't see signs of cracks in the stone above the windows. The cracks occur on about seven windows.
The house was built directly on the route of an old railway cutting which was filled in, so that could have caused it but maybe not.
I would like to post some photos but this site won't let me, as this is my first post.
The purchase is currently with the solicitor but contracts have not yet been exchanged.
Do you think it's a serious problem?
Would this problem be a significant if I were to sell the house later?
Can such cracks let in a significant amount of water?
I'm certain that the seller will not reduce the price because of this.
Would you abort the purchase?
I'm in the process of buying a detached house. When I first made my offer on the house I didn't notice that the lintels above all of the windows in the house are cracked all the way through. The lintels are made of stone and are about 8 inches high. Some of the lintels are cracked in two places. Some of the cracks have been filled in by the seller and others not. They are not wide cracks. I would say maximum 1mm gap but they are all the complete height of the lintels. The lintels have steel supports underneath.
The house is 15 years old and built with stone. I don't see signs of cracks in the stone above the windows. The cracks occur on about seven windows.
The house was built directly on the route of an old railway cutting which was filled in, so that could have caused it but maybe not.
I would like to post some photos but this site won't let me, as this is my first post.
The purchase is currently with the solicitor but contracts have not yet been exchanged.
Do you think it's a serious problem?
Would this problem be a significant if I were to sell the house later?
Can such cracks let in a significant amount of water?
I'm certain that the seller will not reduce the price because of this.
Would you abort the purchase?
0
Comments
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Get a structural survey?0
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When we bought our current house one of the stone lintels was cracked. We put a steel support in.
However, our house is over 200 years old. I'd be concerned on such a new house.
Ageing is a privilege not everyone gets.0 -
A surveyor has been to survey the house.
He said "all the lintels are cracked"0 -
Get an explanation from the surveyor as to whether this is significant. If all the lintels have steel supports underneath, then the stone part may be decorative rather than structural.0
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The survey was a full building survey. I haven't yet received the full survey report.
I'm very grateful for all the replies so far. Any other comments would be interesting too.
I'm wanting to get a "feeling" for whether people think "it's only superficial, don't worry" or "it could be a sign of serious subsidence - find another house to buy"0 -
I'm wanting to get a "feeling" for whether people think "it's only superficial, don't worry" or "it could be a sign of serious subsidence - find another house to buy"
Why? It could be anything between those extremes. I think you'd be best to wait until you have the survey rather than spend the weekend speculating.0 -
Are the windows original or have they been replaced? The disturbance could cause cracking.
I would say if the house is only 15 years old, I'd think it likely they are steel reinforced lintels with external decoration (as someone already said)0 -
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Stop speculating and trying to get free structural advice, get a professional to look at it."It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0
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