Sudden Crack in external 7 internal wall

tonyhan · Last edited by tonyhan on Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:57 am, edited 1 time in total

hi. Guys.

I always get good tips from here but i didn't expect i'd ask this urgent one. Please see photos attached as well.

i bought a house 2 years ago and it's been fine so far.
2 weeks ago, suddenly i saw crack and now it's over 10m. thickest part is 2mm so it's not but it's so sudden happen.

please see photos. it's on the left from main entrance and all around by window.

i suspect that there were Emergency Gas work 2 weeks ago just few meters from my property. But it wasn't huge job. As there's leak, they break few sqm area and fix Gas I heard. There were some vibration i didn't know if it affect like this.

however i can also see especially on 1st floor that the crack happened before and covered before i bought the house. but not ground floor cracks.

i wonder it's something I have to get a Structural Engineer to look into it.
W'd you guys kindly let me know what to do?

many Thanks

Shytalkz · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:28 am Post Subject:

Ground floor *has* cracked before, repairs are visible to left hand side and below left hand window. The movement is to the left hand side of the door. Needs a borehole to find out why. May possibly be a leaking water supply pipe, but there are many other possibilities too, although gas repairs are unlikely to have anything to do with it, unless they were carried out next to the wall.

Either inform insurers, or use a local SE to do a report for you to submit to insurers - if there's a claim under your policy, fees will form part of that claim.

kevindgas · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:19 am Post Subject:

sorry to hear of the problems, settlement of buildings can be most worrying.

can't really offer any advice other than what has already been said contact your insurers they will then arrange a visit by their surveyor.

ps. can you press return a couple of times in your original post as pictures cover 4 pages across my screen!

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ColJack · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:29 pm Post Subject:

if you had a survey done I'd write a letter complaining tha they missed an obvious problem..
there has quite clearly been repairs there already.. patches of mortar that are a differet colour etc..

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joe-90 · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:00 pm Post Subject:

Take a look at where your drains run (and as Shyster says, your water in). If movement has cracked a gas pipe it may have cracked a drain too.

tonyhan · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:59 am Post Subject: Thanks

Hi guys.

Many Thanks.

I'll contact the insurer and ask their engineer to come down and have a look.

all the best.

Tony