External wall crack

Section62

No41edwardianhouse said:

There are absolutely no cracks externally or internally on the property we intend to buy. Equally, the crack on the next door house doesn’t extend down to the ground - a little odd.

Difficult to tell from the photo with all the shadows etc, but if I had to guess I'd say the crack is getting wider as you go from bottom to top and is more or less vertical.

That's suggestive of heave, or a form of rotational movement causing the left and right sides of the house (as you face the wall) to move apart from the top.

What is on the far side of the end of terrace property?

GDB2222

Would you get this sort of crack if there's a bit of a problem with the arch over the window? I'd say the lintel, except that there probably isn't one, or if there is one it's made of 200 year old wood.

Would that be a cause for the OP to worry?

. 

No41edwardianhouse

Section62 said:

No41edwardianhouse said:

There are absolutely no cracks externally or internally on the property we intend to buy. Equally, the crack on the next door house doesn’t extend down to the ground - a little odd.

Difficult to tell from the photo with all the shadows etc, but if I had to guess I'd say the crack is getting wider as you go from bottom to top and is more or less vertical.

That's suggestive of heave, or a form of rotational movement causing the left and right sides of the house (as you face the wall) to move apart from the top.

What is on the far side of the end of terrace property?

Far side of the end of terrace is a garden wall to the next run of houses. No cracks on that end of the house. It doesn’t get wider as it reaches the top - tiny bit wider in the middle as the mortar seems to have blown but then back to hairline as it reaches the top of the house. 

No41edwardianhouse

GDB2222 said:

Would you get this sort of crack if there's a bit of a problem with the arch over the window? I'd say the lintel, except that there probably isn't one, or if there is one it's made of 200 year old wood.

Would that be a cause for the OP to worry?

. 

No visible lintel - wood or stone. 

No41edwardianhouse

stuart45 said:

As the crack isn't on your house I wouldn't be too concerned. 
It looks like a thermal crack, which you don't usually get on old properties as they are built in lime mortar, but if there has been some rebuilding in cement mortar it could cause this.
Thermal cracks are quite common on long runs of masonry, which is why movement joints are now put into walls.

There has definitely been some repointing in cement mortar done. 

GDB2222

No41edwardianhouse said:

GDB2222 said:

Would you get this sort of crack if there's a bit of a problem with the arch over the window? I'd say the lintel, except that there probably isn't one, or if there is one it's made of 200 year old wood.

Would that be a cause for the OP to worry?

. 

No visible lintel - wood or stone. 

Normally lintels are hidden behind the brickwork. But this might just rely on the arch. 

aoleks

thermal expansion, nothing to worry about!

stuart45

No41edwardianhouse said:

We have been told the bricks on the property were all “turned” in the 60s. Not entirely sure what this means…

If all the bricks were turned, it suggests that all the brickwork was taken down and rebuilt. Although it's a lot of work I have known it to be done on some old blocks of houses. I worked on a block of 4 owned by the church that did this.

No41edwardianhouse

aoleks said:

thermal expansion, nothing to worry about!

That’s what I’m thinking. Thank you. We have been a bit worried. 

woody7777

What would cause an old house to heave?