Crack in pebbledash/render - how do I repair?

Spogchait

I wonder if anyone can advise on this from experience.  I have a flat which has a crack in the pebbledash render.  When I try to remortgage, on the basic valuation it’s getting picked up as a subsidence risk.  The first time this happened (5 years ago) a full structural was done via my insurance and they confirmed it was long standing and non progressive so I’m not worried about subsidence.  I tried to move lender recently, same again, bounced initially as a subsidence risk,so I’m now stuck on a rubbish rate and I’m motivated to get this sorted.

in the pic attached I’m the upstairs flat and the downstairs is owner occupied mortgage paid off by someone who is not focused on maintenance and is unlikely to contribute.  I don’t mind that if it doesn’t cost me fortunes as its costing me in mortgage rate right now.  I will pay for the full job.  It’s self managed - the freeholder is unlikely to get involved, the lease is pretty good, broadly sets out responsibilities for each flat but this will be in a grey area.

Fellow landlords, what would you do to address this?  I’m concerned that it won’t be possible to do a patch up job on that isn’t obvious on this and I may have to do a patch up and paint the whole building.  I wonder if anyone has had similar?  Am I being overly pessimistic?  I have been putting this in the too hard box for years, would love to know if anyone else has overcome a similar problem without spending £££.  I’m in London zone 3.

FreeBear

Those cracks are indicative of no lintels on the outer leaf - It looks like there has been uPVC windows fitted at some point. I'm betting the installers failed to check for, and fit if required, lintels.

This is one for the freeholder to fix as it is a material defect with the structure, and not just a cosmetic "thing".

Spogchait

Hi @FreeBear, how big a job is this likely to be?  What next steps would you take if you were me? 

Spogchait

And just for info, the upvc in the Lower floor were fitted years ago, my window was fitted a couple of years before this picture.

FreeBear

Spogchait said:

how big a job is this likely to be?  What next steps would you take if you were me? 

A big job I'm afraid. The render would need hacking off, Acro props & Strong-Boys inserted to support the brickwork. Then three courses of bricks (maybe four) removed, a steel inserted, and then the bricks put back. Scaffolding would be needed, which adds to the cost.

As a leaseholder, I'd suggest getting a structural engineer in to assess the cause of the cracking - It may be a lack of lintels on the outer leaf, or it could be something much more serious. With the report in hand, jump up and down on the leaseholder until the issue is fixed. But do bear in mind, the repair costs will be passed on to yourself, along with the other leaseholders.

stuart45

It could also be the gable wall has moved slightly, causing the front flank to crack at it's weakest point by the frames. When segmental arches fail because of too small an abutment they usually crack in the centre.

Spogchait

@stuart45, from memory this is what the surveyor who did the full structural survey was getting at.  He said it was historic movement and I don’t believe it’s got worse.

stuart45

You could fill the cracks with clear mastic to help prevent moisture entering and freezing.

Spogchait

I’m not getting any problems with moisture but I would like it to look less alarming, I’m hust wondering if anyone has experience of a convincing patch up on pebble dash as everything I read says it’s impossible.

stuart45

Stick some of the stones into the mastic in the crack.

Spogchait

Thanks @stuart45.  I’m going to get another surveyor to look at it just in case, better safe than sorry but if the answer is a patch up job maybe that will work and I can maybe try to match that paint on the lower flat or just fully repaint that section with something close.  Will paint go over the mastic do you think?