Crack in internal wall. Does it look like movement?

BornTooHula

Hi there,

Technically not “My Home”, but a house I’m hoping to buy, has a pretty large crack running from the floor up to the external wall. 

The wall with the diagonal crack runs between kitchen and dining room. The external wall is the back of the house, and I can’t see any corresponding cracks externally. 

See pictures below:

This room obviously hasn’t been decorated for a very long time, and the house has been empty a while. It was built in the late 1800s. 

I have a structural engineer booked in but not until early February. In the meantime, I’m trying to understand whether I should be lowering my expectations, or keeping my hopes up. 

Does it look like serious structural movement? Anyone had a similar issue put right?

Any advice or musings welcome. 

Thanks!

SaverRate

Do you have any photos of the outside of the wall?

stuart45

It's quite common for the external flank to move out slightly and leave a crack at the junction of a party or partition wall, especially if the tie isn't that good. Engineers normally ask for angle brackets to be fixed to the walls.

BornTooHula

Thanks. I guess I'll need to wait for a structural engineer to confirm that for me.

stuart45

There are a lot of older houses like that, but most of are filled before they go on the market. In some ways it's better that you can see it.
It might need restraint bars as well if the joists are parallel to the wall.
On modern houses the lateral restraint is better.

stuart45

This may show it better.
Lateral Restraint Tie Bars & Straps - Falcon Structural Repairs Ltd

twopenny

Something's been repaired with the new bricks.

Also the weird bit of render (?) that starts above the ground to a few feet up. There's a distinct change of colour in that 'render' in an odd shape that looks like something fixed up.

Nice looking doors though. Real character. The kitchen door has been replaced. The glass light then a door with a large glass panel isn't right.

As for the inside I'd hazzard a guess that it's not been cared for, and the plaster has rotted, cracked up over an area and the corners mostly go first.

 

BornTooHula

Thanks for the informative replies. It's reassuring to hear it may not be all doom and gloom!

I've queried the internal bricks with the sellers, and waiting for a reply. My guess is that there was perhaps a gas boiler or other appliance there. Either way, doesn't seem to be related to the cracking (although I may be wrong!)

Grenage

twopenny said:

Something's been repaired with the new bricks.

Also the weird bit of render (?) that starts above the ground to a few feet up. There's a distinct change of colour in that 'render' in an odd shape that looks like something fixed up.

 

It's a render plinth to combat penetrating damp.  We've got one along our house.

twopenny

Thanks Grenage, I've not seen that before.
Locally we have them from ground to about a foot high but not elevated like this.

Grenage

twopenny said:

Thanks Grenage, I've not seen that before.
Locally we have them from ground to about a foot high but not elevated like this.

They're not common; I'd remove mine if I thought I could do so without damaging the brickwork.