Help! - Crack in external wall outside home

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  • Jainar
    Jainar Posts: 27 Forumite
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    When you say the mortar is nice and fresh - could this be very recent work in the last year? I had not seen mortar on the ground.
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    It could be. All I can say is that it definitely isn't old and that the previous pointing isn't all that old either.

    It's so grey compared to the other pointing that there's a lot more cement in it.
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • Jainar
    Jainar Posts: 27 Forumite
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    Ok I see. Thanks doozergirl.

    @freebear there is no crack on the internal wall just the outside.
  • Dedekind
    Dedekind Posts: 224 Forumite
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    Don't panic. Just get a structural engineer to assess it. Cracks generate lots of panic because people think subsidence, underpinning, etc. I would venture to say those cases are far from common as there are many other ess serious reasons for a crack to appear.
  • Jainar
    Jainar Posts: 27 Forumite
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    The surveyor who missed it has come back to have a look. The reason why he missed it was because there was foliage on the ground next to the wall (rather than on the wall hiding it!) and he didnt want to walk onto there. Not a great excuse and furthermore wasn't set out in the survey he sent on to me that he had not reviewed that wall!

    Having viewed it, he does not think that it is subsidence. His view is that it's settlement full stop. He will send me an addendum to the report covering this via email.

    I am relieved that it is not subsidence in his view but on the other hand, I realise that he is incentivised to say that at this stage so he isnt independent. The choices I have are:

    1. Get a structural engineer in to assess it. Get the surveyor to pay for it
    2. Leave as is, rely on his report and continue to monitor. If cracks start appearing internally or the cracks outside widen then get a structural engineer in

    Any advice on this welcome!
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 3,993 Forumite
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    You could repoint it to prevent moisture penetrating the wall, especially as it looks like a solid wall. Apart from too strong a mix being used, the original wasn't raked out deep enough so it was always going to fail.
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    Well, the house isn't going to fall down just yet, so you can wait and monitor for a while. Take photos now. Lots of them, and not just close up, but of the whole walls. And wait.

    Or... I have to say that I wouldn't be satisfied with what he's said and that I would be seeking the advice of a structural engineer. I don't like the look of it, particularly what looks like the third set of repointing opening and failing. Something is happening and it isn't historic.

    I did say that the surveyor would do the right thing by you, but actually, there is work needed there, even if it just repointing and if he didn't even mention that he didn't survey the area, I smell cow poop. I've got 20 years experience of houses and I'll buy, and have bought, almost anything, but that would have been on my list for expert advice before buying.

    I suggest getting a CCTV survey of all the drains at the very least.
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 3,993 Forumite
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    Is the crack where an extension has been put on in the past? Reason for asking is that the bonding with closers in the wall suggests that, and the mixture of some bricks with soot and ones next to them are clean. Normally in London those Yellow stocks are covered on the same flank.
    If it is an extension, the toothing is often a plane of weakness and there is sometimes a crack as the new part settles.
  • Jainar
    Jainar Posts: 27 Forumite
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    Thanks for all the replies, there is an extension and one of the reasons the surveyor thought that there would be the settlement is because there is a first storey up until where the crack is. Beyond that there is just a balcony above the extension.

    The cracks in repointing is, according to the surveyor, due to the cement being used to repoint rather than original lime mortar, being hard and brittle, it has come off. Also the house is being built above Taplow gravel rather than clay so gives surveyor more comfort.

    Doozergirl - what should I do first, get a drainage review or the structural engineer in first?
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 3,993 Forumite
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    It's quite common to get a crack in the wall when an extension has been toothed in and the toothing wasn't done properly. Nowadays the brickwork on the new work is stepped back and wall starters used to avoid this problem.
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