Wall crack

[hedonologist]

Hi, first post here.

I have a crack in the wall in the side of my house (semi detached). A loss adjuster came around recently and has since said that it is not subsidence and not an insurable event.

The house was built in 1922, and those off colour bricks were repointed in 1984.

Basically, does anyone have any idea of how serious this is?

 

[tony1851]

Settlement downwards, to the right? (drop in string course at bottom of pic suggests that).

Was there originally a brick arch over the window, which has been replaced by a concrete lintel as the arch settled and cracked? If so, movement may be continuing - look at the crack in the bricks down the right-hand side of the window.

 

[hedonologist]

Settlement downwards, to the right? (drop in string course at bottom of pic suggests that)

The drop in string course is not as bad as it looks, because it sort of goes in rather than down, angle just makes it look like a drop. Also my neighbour on the other side of the path who I'm not attached to has a similar (albeit less severe) crack.

 

[^woody^]

Looks like normal contraction of the wall, and the mass of the lintel is preventing movement causing that crack in that location.

The same crack in the same place of another property, suggests it's a design issue.

 

[tony1851]

deleted.

 

[wessex101]

Looks like normal contraction of the wall, and the mass of the lintel is preventing movement causing that crack in that location.

The same crack in the same place of another property, suggests it's a design issue.

Not sure what "normal contraction" would be in clay brickwork. I tend to agree with Tony, settlement/subsidence crack probably caused by something between the 2 properties that is affecting both of them, leaking drain possibly. The fact that the stone lintel has been replaced and re-pointed brickwork has cracked suggests the movement is on going.

 

[^woody^]

All clay panels expand and contract. It's normal.

The crack location and type is clearly contraction. Subsidence does not stress crack bricks either.

 

[Will..]

Subsidence does not stress crack bricks either.

Surely that depends on the strength of the mortar compared to the brick? I've known blokes shovel gauging mixes aiming for a 4 and 1 but comes out looking more like a 3 and 1.

 

[^woody^]

Subsidence does not stress crack bricks either.

Surely that depends on the strength of the mortar compared to the brick? I've known blokes shovel gauging mixes aiming for a 4 and 1 but comes out looking more like a 3 and 1.

Subsidence will crack bricks but the cracking will be different to that seen in the OP image, and I'd also suggest at a different location to that seen here - ie that's much too high up the building to be pivot movement, and the crack is too even in width for that location and height above ground.