Bay Wall Structural Break

[daryah]

In 2008 I had a window company (Fensa registered) install two bay windows on the ground floor and first floor of my 30s semi in London. Soon after the install I noticed cracks on the inside of the first floor wall but was told a "bit of shift" was common and was limited to the plaster by some other tradespeople. Recently I have started decorating and my plumber who was removing the radiator told me categorically that I did not have a plaster break and the brick wall behind was broken. This would probably cause another break on the other side of the bay wall.

Now I have the window company in a few weeks to inspect but have been told to expect they will fob it off to london soil and age of my house. Am expecting a quote today from some builders today so hopefully have a fallback quote should that happen. I've not told my home insurance company yet so not sure what they will say. However, if I did claim then my premiums would presumably go up in later years by some amount. Was wondering what everyones experience has been with this and what I should look out for in terms of price and remedy with the window company should they stay to general form.

The builder said the window company should have strengthened the wall when they installed the window, but I may have had to pay extra for this. This was never suggested to me by the company.

 

[God]

You will probaly find that the house was built around the windows, so when they got to window level they put the window in a carried on building up,. When you had your windows changed they have had to allow a bit in the height to get the windows in and remember that the plastic frames are not load bearing so the weight of the upstairs has settled on top of the new windows. They problaly should have put bay jacks in the new bay poles...but have they?

 

[stevethejoiner]

It is something you really should have looked at professionally.
Not all bays are load bearing, the floor joists could be cantilevered off an internal beam and so take the window and wall loadings, or at least some of it.
A structural engineers report will tell you if the windows are load bearing and if the cracks are historical or recent due to the window work or anything else. If you rely on a builder or a window company to advice you, you will not have a report from a legally accepted body to fall back on and give weight to your argument/claim against the installing window company.
As GOD said, the replacement windows would have had a fitting tolerance and possible the cracking may be due to the upper level settling down onto the new frames, and that will be fault of the window company. And even if structural poles had been used, were they installed correctly with plates top and bottom or are they just digging into the top timber plate or bottom upvc cills?
There are many points to be looked at, so if you don't want to put it in the hands of your insurers get a surveyor or structural engineer in .
If the fault is with the window company your insurers will claim against them so your next premium will be fine.
If the cracks are historical and not getting worse the insurers wont be bothered, you will fill cracks and decorate.
If the cracks are new, confirmed to be structural and not associated to the window work you will still have to get something done so may as well have insurer pay for it, I doubt any future premium increase will amount to anything like cost of remedial work if it is settlement or ground heave issue.

 

[daryah]

Well that was last year and as it turned out the window company accepted responsibility and after a long while sent a couple guys who came in, explained to me how the bay wall was like an apron and not load bearing, put in retaining straps to the main load bearing frame and did the job start to end in 2 to 3 hours.

This year I continued where I left off and decorated the front room and have started on the rear room. As it turns out there seems to be more cracks here I have to again deal with but as again would like thoughts from all. These are the images

Untitled

• daryah
• 8 Jun 2013
• 1

Untitled

• daryah
• 8 Jun 2013
• 1

. I broke the plaster around the crack to get this view. tThe crack does not seem as bad as the front room. The window was not put in by me, and so no resort with a window company. Other facts are it is a cavity wall and resting on a steel that goes over an extension I put in a 3 years ago. However I have a feeling this crack existed prior to the extension. There seems to be a mirror image crack on the other side of the window but this has been filled in probably about 8 years ago. Do I need someone to come in and strap this as well?