Can this be repointed?

[wedge69]

I posted a couple of years ago about some mortar cracks that we have. I've attached an up to date picture where you can see the step crack between the door and the window.

I want to get this fixed, so is it just a repoint or something else? Which trade should I engage?

Thanks!

 

[^woody^]

Has the actual cause of the crack been identified and dealt with?

 

[wedge69]

So I guess that's the next question. There are no corresponding cracks inside, I have looked in the upstairs bedroom and the plasterboard is fine.

It's a seven year old new build, and the cracks have been there for at least four years though it's hard to see if they are getting better or worse.

I had just assumed settlement, but I guess I could be wrong?

 

[Mobo_14]

Cracks similar to the ones in your pics can be caused by lintels failing thus leading to the stepped cracks in courses either side.

Although I can't see that being the cause with a lintel of that age (providing it's been fitted correctly) . It's movement of some sort you'll have to find out where.

 

[KenGMac]

wedge69, good evening.

I would be very, very cautious about having that hairline crack pointed? As an aside, that is what it is a hairline crack, probable cause? Thermal Expansion.

If you do opt to re-point that crack, the mortar colour difference will FOREVER be very, very, very OBVIOUS!

If / As / When you come to sell the property, the conveyancing surveyor looking around will be jumping up and down screaming "SUBSIDENCE" he must, why, because his Professional Indemnity Insurance demands it of his conduct and reporting procedures.

I regularly drive past several Ex-Local Authority properties externally clad with roughcast render, on several of them someone has filled some cracks in the gable roughcast with a BLACK filler [of some sort] it sticks out like the proverbial [very] sore thumb on cement coloured gables?

If indeed you wish to re-point can I suggest the entire elevation is re-pointed OK a lot, lot more costly, but it will avoid the above scenario of a coloured scar drawing attention to what was / is a hairline defect??

Ken.

 

[wedge69]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I've spoken to NHBC as the house is only seven years old so hopefully they will be able to help out.

I got up the ladder and measured, the cracks are 2mm wide, so a bit more than hairline!

 

[KenGMac]

wedge69, good evening.

Would be of interest to see what the NHBC Inspector comes up with.

As previous post I would object strongly to a re-point of the crack line, for the reasons stated.

At 2.mm yes more than "Hairline" having agreed to that it is difficult to "Asses" a crack width from an image taken 15 / 20 meters away?

Big thing is that there are no internal cracks.

As an aside? how long is the elevation that this crack is seen on?

Ken

 

[wedge69]

Whilst I wait for NHBC, I was wondering if there was any obvious reason for this type of crack. I've read that subsidence/ heave tend to be wider at one end whereas these are widest in the middle of the diagonal, and hairline at the ends. Fully appreciate it may not be possible to analyse on the internet!

 

[KenGMac]

wedge69, good evening.

OK Subsidence [the Elephant in the room??] occurs when there is a vertical downwards movement of the foundations [the foregoing is the insurance industries explanation]

Do you have a concrete slab ground floor??or is the ground floor a suspended timber?

Subs movement can take many forms, as a rule, your explanation is the general norm.

Heave??? forget it this is a complete non-starter, I went to a meeting of Subsidence Engineers in Leeds a few years ago, there were about a dozen present, of various ages, most well into their 40s+ no one had seen "Heave" each engineer present had been analysing / diagnosing / repairing Subsidence issues for between 8 and 15 or so years each??

As per my O/post, how long is the elevation on which the cracks are occurring?

Suggest you Google "Thermal" expansion of external brickwork, and "Expansion joints in external brickwork walls"

Happy Googling.

Ken.

 

[wedge69]

Without having a tape measure to hand and basing on an old floor plan, probably between 8 and 9m

 

[wedge69]

Summary of investigation was "...consistent with minor settlement of the lintel..." There was no evidence that it is related to foundation movement.

The solution is to either repoint now or later. As we are looking at selling the advise was to leave for now for the reasons @KenGMac mentioned- repointing can make it look like you are trying to hide something

 

[cwhaley]

Summary of investigation was "...consistent with minor settlement of the lintel..." There was no evidence that it is related to foundation movement.

The solution is to either repoint now or later. As we are looking at selling the advise was to leave for now for the reasons @KenGMac mentioned- repointing can make it look like you are trying to hide something

Or you keep a copy of the investigation should a future buyer/surveyor query it. My front bay window wall needed repointing so it was repointed -- I wouldn't just leave it.

 

[wedge69]

@cwhaley - valid point, thanks