Wall cracks - reassure or advise me!

ldm84

Wall cracks have got worse over the last year.

At the time we were advised the walls were drying out, and that's what caused the cracks. But they've definitely grown and I'm not sure whether that's normal.

The wall is a one side of a ground floor bay window. There has been damp in that wall and it's clearly been patched. We had a DPC installed and replaced guttering.

Do we need to call a structural engineer? A builder? Any advice appreciated!

ldm84

sorry tried to post pictures

Let's have another go!
http://imgur.com/a/3TThb

ukjoel

We had similar cracks and like you I presumed the worst.....

I made a mental not to keep an eye on it, but at the same time by pure coincidence bought a dehumidifier for upstairs as the windows were badly condensed in the morning.


The dehumidifier (EBac one with a 5 year warranty) sorted out the condensation really well but one of the other effects was when I checked on the wall a few months later I couldnt see the crack.

Its strange but it had completely gone.

As you specifically mentioned damp I wonder if it could be the same issue. The lines on the photos dont follow the brick pattern and are fairly small so might be worth picking up a secondhand dehumidifier first on ebay.

Franz_Ferdinand

Rake it out and fill it.

Mr.Generous

absolutely nothing to worry about, the cracks that are a problem run in brick pattern like this ...



and they do the same on the inside, straight (ish) line cracks are drying out and settlement, certainly nothing serious. When you rake out and fill you can brush PVA into the crack as a bonding agent, and also to prevent filler physically drying before it chemically sets hard.

tonyh66

Mr.Generous wrote: »

absolutely nothing to worry about, the cracks that are a problem run in brick pattern like this ...



and they do the same on the inside, straight (ish) line cracks are drying out and settlement, certainly nothing serious. When you rake out and fill you can brush PVA into the crack as a bonding agent, and also to prevent filler physically drying before it chemically sets hard.

not entirely true, you can get settlement that snaps bricks in half so the crack would be straight-ish I can't see the OPs picture so can't comment.

Mr.Generous

yes you can, usually half bricks. However settlement compared to subsidence really is nothing to worry about. If the building is starting to list the cracks are formed because one part of the structure is pulling away from another. this is the stuff to worry about because it costs big money to put right. Straight cracks are 99% of the time nothing to worry about.

ldm84

Thanks everyone.

There's no problem with the bricks outside, have been keeping an eye on them too!

Will continue to keep an eye on them. Have measure the thickness and they are less than 1mm.

We actually have a dehumidifier so will get it on down here.

Much appreciated on this sunny Sunday!