External wall has vertical crack

donemedosh

Hi All. I was clearing my gutters yesterday when I noticed a crack in the top part of the wall. It is about 20inches long and about 4 foot away from the corner of the house (built 1950ish), there are no other cracks that I can see ( I went round on the ladders just to check). Need advice on action I should go for. just rake out mortar & refill or go for Helibar typeof repair. Or do you have a better idea the gap is no bigger than 1.5mm but what conserns me it has gone through brick not followed the mortar. Thanks

stuart45

Is there a crack on the inner skin?

tacpot12

I would be concerned about this as the crack is through the bricks. If the cause is subsidence, you might need to make a claim on your home insurance, so I would give your insurers a call and ask them for advice.

stuart45's question is a fair question as the problem may only be in the outer leaf, in which case it might be due to failing wall ties. It might be necessary to have all the wall ties inspected and/or replaced, so again a call to your insurers might ensure you get their help and support. 

Grenage

It's probably nothing to worry about, especially if it doesn't get worse.

I think wall ties tend to lead to horizontal cracks as the heads expand.

donemedosh

There is no cracks on the inside wall. But I forgot to mention we had the chimney removed 2 years ago & it was on this side of the house. But if it is subsidence why would it bejust at the top?. Thanks for the replies

stuart45

Was the chimney an external one, or internal? 
Cracking through the bricks happens when the mortar is too strong, so even thermal movement can cause it.

FreeBear

Subsidence cracks would start at the base of the wall. Cracks at the top could be an indicator of the roof spreading and pushing the top of the wall out. You should consult a structural engineer for a proper diagnosis and advice on repairs.

If it is roof spread, helibars will only offer a short term solution unless the roof is also fixed at the same time.

Eldi_Dos

Has a satellite dish or aerial been attached to that part of wall at anytime.

stuart45

Has the wall had a hole drilled in it? 3rd cross joint from the bottom on the crack where it meets the bed joint.

donemedosh

1- chimney is internal had the section through the roof removed 2 years ago. 2-Hole has been drilled but it was filled years ago we have been here 25+ years & it must have been done before that (it is ex council property) 3- Sat dish is on same wall about 3foot to the left of crack 4- we are looking at maybe getting roof done but finding a good roofer is quite hard, but never heard of roof spreading? would this mean posable timber damage

stuart45

Roof spread isn't common in houses built in the 50's unless there have been alterations made to the roof structure. As the weight of the roof is normally on the inner skin it will usually show here as well. 
Is it a hipped roof?