Cracked wall exterior and interior

[pb8856]

Could anyone offer me some advice on what it going on here. This crack has opened up on the exterior of my house between the windows on the lower and upper floors. There are also some cracks in the plaster on the interior on the upper part of the wall downstairs and the lower part of the upstairs.

Any advice on the cracks and associated costs would be greatly appreciated.

Untitled

• pb8856
• 16 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• pb8856
• 16 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• pb8856
• 16 Dec 2013
• 1

 

[Blagard]

New cracks such as your pictures illustrate should give cause for concern and the reason(s) need to be investigated. If the cracks were old and stable I would not be that concerned.

Tree roots and leaking drains are two common causes of differential movement in walls that will show as cracks. There are loads of other reasons as well such as mining activity, new roads in proximity to the house causing vibration and settlement and so on.

My advice is that if the cracks are in fact new then you should get a building surveyor to investigate them and report the findings. Nipping a new problem in the bud can save you a lot of heartache later.

 

[tony1851]

The stepped crack on the brickwork is the typical pattern you get when an original window is replaced by a new unit, and a suitable lintel has not been inserted.
Unusual for the crack to show internally, though, unless perhaps the opening was widened, and there is no (or insufficient lintel) inserted internally.
The grey material over the sliding doors (is it lead?) suggests something unusual there.
You really need to get a local surveyor/SE to have a look.