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Hi,
We bought our house in 2014 and the survey said that the lintels were defective and needed repair or replacing. We haven't been able to afford it yet and since we want new windows have been saving to get both done at the same time.
A while after we moved in we noticed there were cracks in the external brick but particularly weren't worried since the survey didn't mention anything structural. There was also a second visit to clear wall ties as apparently it's a common problem in the area.
We're not sure if the cracks have got worse or just noticing them more since we've been looking for them whilst considering new windows.
Anyway, we're noticing more and more cracks both internal and external. There's 2-3 fairly large cracks above and below the front downstairs windows. They're diagonal following the mortar but parts do also go vertically through the middle of individual bricks.
We have just redecorated the dining room which meant taking the old coving down and have noticed large cracks inside, around the edge of the wall where the ceiling and wall meet on the window wall and 2 adjacent walls. There's also a large and quite wide diagonal crack to the top right of the window internally. (Both pictured)
There's another crack externally down the gable end but I'm not sure if this goes through the brick or just mortar. There's only a conservatory on that wall, no windows but the crack is to the right of and above the conservatory, closer to a chimney breast which seems to just be for show?
There's coving in the hall and living room so I don't know if the cracks continue into other rooms but the dining room window frame is starting to dip in the middle so we think that rooms probably the worst effected. There's also cracks internally around the seals of each window.
We're also noticing cracks elsewhere. Particularly the front bedrooms though these run about 20cm from where the ceiling and walls join then across the middle of the rooms. We also had the bathroom plastered in 2015 and have large cracks in the wall and ceiling.
The only other things noted on the survey were that there's a radiator in the conservatory, the conservatory hasn't got planning permission (but owners said has been done 13 years ago when we bought and it's only 3m x 2m) and the damp proof course is breached (we think either the conservatory or because the previous owner has built up with boulders and bushes close to the house with ivy which climbs the house wall. There's then a water feature type slope in the middle so that water will run down under a bridge into the pond and is then pumped back up.)
Could it all be down to the lintels or is it more likely subsidence? It's a 1959 semi detached and doesn't look to be any cracks externally to the other property.
What do we do next? Get in touch with our insurance? Get another survey? A builder?
Also, should we wait before putting the new coving up? May seem silly but really just wanted to have another room finished!
Sorry for all the questions. First time buyers and no idea how insurance etc works.
Thanks.
P.S when I say cracks they're mostly 1mm width or less but long. The only exception is the one pictured.
We bought our house in 2014 and the survey said that the lintels were defective and needed repair or replacing. We haven't been able to afford it yet and since we want new windows have been saving to get both done at the same time.
A while after we moved in we noticed there were cracks in the external brick but particularly weren't worried since the survey didn't mention anything structural. There was also a second visit to clear wall ties as apparently it's a common problem in the area.
We're not sure if the cracks have got worse or just noticing them more since we've been looking for them whilst considering new windows.
Anyway, we're noticing more and more cracks both internal and external. There's 2-3 fairly large cracks above and below the front downstairs windows. They're diagonal following the mortar but parts do also go vertically through the middle of individual bricks.
We have just redecorated the dining room which meant taking the old coving down and have noticed large cracks inside, around the edge of the wall where the ceiling and wall meet on the window wall and 2 adjacent walls. There's also a large and quite wide diagonal crack to the top right of the window internally. (Both pictured)
There's another crack externally down the gable end but I'm not sure if this goes through the brick or just mortar. There's only a conservatory on that wall, no windows but the crack is to the right of and above the conservatory, closer to a chimney breast which seems to just be for show?
There's coving in the hall and living room so I don't know if the cracks continue into other rooms but the dining room window frame is starting to dip in the middle so we think that rooms probably the worst effected. There's also cracks internally around the seals of each window.
We're also noticing cracks elsewhere. Particularly the front bedrooms though these run about 20cm from where the ceiling and walls join then across the middle of the rooms. We also had the bathroom plastered in 2015 and have large cracks in the wall and ceiling.
The only other things noted on the survey were that there's a radiator in the conservatory, the conservatory hasn't got planning permission (but owners said has been done 13 years ago when we bought and it's only 3m x 2m) and the damp proof course is breached (we think either the conservatory or because the previous owner has built up with boulders and bushes close to the house with ivy which climbs the house wall. There's then a water feature type slope in the middle so that water will run down under a bridge into the pond and is then pumped back up.)
Could it all be down to the lintels or is it more likely subsidence? It's a 1959 semi detached and doesn't look to be any cracks externally to the other property.
What do we do next? Get in touch with our insurance? Get another survey? A builder?
Also, should we wait before putting the new coving up? May seem silly but really just wanted to have another room finished!
Sorry for all the questions. First time buyers and no idea how insurance etc works.
Thanks.
P.S when I say cracks they're mostly 1mm width or less but long. The only exception is the one pictured.