Crack in Brickwork

[wingit]

There has been a crack in the render in the living room for the last 4 years, since I moved in. I've finally got around to renovating that room and just taken down the render and plaster and found a crack approximately 1.2m long as shown in the pictures. It's a 1930's terraced house.

It seems logical to me that because the crack does not go down to floor that it is not subsidence, but I don't know much about this stuff.

I'd appreciate thoughts on the seriousness of such a crack and remedies, is it in the realm of a DIYer, or should I get in the professionals and get a survey?

To my understanding it is a weight bearing wall.

On further examination of the photos it looks to me like the brickwork on either side of the crack might be different, anyone agree with that?

Thanks.

20151207_182340

• wingit
• 7 Dec 2015
• 2

20151207_182401

• wingit
• 7 Dec 2015

 

[^woody^]

That's looks like a badly bonded [insert extension/chimney/blocked up door/window]

Chop out and tie some bricks across before plastering.

 

[tony1851]

As the crack is wider at the top than the bottom, it suggest slight rotation of the left-hand wall.
Maybe a bit of settlement, but possibly not on-going if it's been like that for a while?

 

[wingit]

That's looks like a badly bonded [insert extension/chimney/blocked up door/window]

Chop out and tie some bricks across before plastering.

Thanks Woody, I'll get some quotes in. Any ideas on what I should expect as a ballpark figure to do the job?

 

[wingit]

As the crack is wider at the top than the bottom, it suggest slight rotation of the left-hand wall.
Maybe a bit of settlement, but possibly not on-going if it's been like that for a while?

It does look like it. I wonder now, after reading the feedback, if way back there was a bit of settlement and a section of wall was replaced, but not very well. It wouldn't have been a chimney as that is on the opposite side of the room, if it was a bricked up door then all the neighbours houses would have had the same modification as they are all the same layout as this one.

It hasn't worsened in four years.

 

[^woody^]

Are you not going to DIY?

As there has been no ongoing movement, you could gob all the open joints up with mortar, and then use some wide mesh across the crack in the plaster.

No more than £200 for the repair (with bricks) and plaster. Or 1 1/2 days inclusive of materials whatever that works out as.

 

[wingit]

Are you not going to DIY?

As there has been no ongoing movement, you could gob all the open joints up with mortar, and then use some wide mesh across the crack in the plaster.

No more than £200 for the repair (with bricks) and plaster. Or 1 1/2 days inclusive of materials whatever that works out as.

I do usually DIY when I can, and I suppose I could just patch it up with mortar and mesh, but as you suggested in your first post, I think the proper repair would be to chop out the cracked bricks and tie new ones across. My concern is that with it being a load bearing wall that if I start chopping out bricks something might give, I'm not sure I'm that brave

 

[kazuya]

nothing will give, like woody said just chop out a few that when you put in new bricks they will bridge the crack and tie it in.

 

[Nige F]

Are you not going to DIY?

As there has been no ongoing movement, you could gob all the open joints up with mortar, and then use some wide mesh across the crack in the plaster.

No more than £200 for the repair (with bricks) and plaster. Or 1 1/2 days inclusive of materials whatever that works out as.

It's London. Woody. I'd be interested as to what the quotes do come in at.

 

[^woody^]

It's London. Woody. I'd be interested as to what the quotes do come in at.

Lots of cheap labour for cash then!

Whatever they charge for a day, day and a half. Probably treble, but not 3x as good a job.

 

[wingit]

Are you not going to DIY?

As there has been no ongoing movement, you could gob all the open joints up with mortar, and then use some wide mesh across the crack in the plaster.

No more than £200 for the repair (with bricks) and plaster. Or 1 1/2 days inclusive of materials whatever that works out as.

It's London. Woody. I'd be interested as to what the quotes do come in at.

An update for anyone else who comes across a similar problem, the plasterer just fixed a wire mesh to the brickwork and rendered it.
A few weeks later fine cracks formed in the same position, but they haven't opened up, so fingers crossed it is only surface cracking in the plaster.

 

[^woody^]

Did you have the brickwork repaired?

There should not really be any cracks in the plaster.

 

[Danturboc]

As woody has said, I wouldn't have plastered over that without sorting out the brickwork first even if it was just filling the gaps with more cement

 

[Footsoldier888]

Is that what led to the saying 'plastering over the cracks' ??? Hope not!

 

[wingit]

I had three plasterers look at it and they all just said mesh over it would be good enough. The crack is hairline, will just have to keep an eye on it now. I'll post back in the thread if it opens up again, so others can learn from it. Fingers crossed it's sound enough.