Hi,
I am looking at a bungalow to buy and went around it the other day. Inside i noticed quite a few cracks in the plaster all small in width (around 1mm)but numerous. They run horizontally vertically and in some cases fan out. They are on the inside of the external walls and on some of the internal walls.
I looked at the outside walls and found no signs of cracking.
Except! on one wall where in line with the tops of the two metal framed windows a large (1cm wide extending 1 mtr past the window) crack extends horizontall along the mortar line. No cracks in the brickwork and no sign of it trying to go down the wall.
The bungalow is a 1965 build and i have been told that because they used metal lintels above the windows if these get wet and rust they expand and can seperate the bricks in this manner.
Is this true or have i got something more sinister going on.
I dont want to get a surveyor in as i have just paid out £800 (with the vat) to a surveyor on another house we were considering but now pulled out of who basically told me nothing more than i already knew. So for example his response to these cracks would likely to be "there are cracks in the wall that need further investigation."
Thanks for any help and advise
I am looking at a bungalow to buy and went around it the other day. Inside i noticed quite a few cracks in the plaster all small in width (around 1mm)but numerous. They run horizontally vertically and in some cases fan out. They are on the inside of the external walls and on some of the internal walls.
I looked at the outside walls and found no signs of cracking.
Except! on one wall where in line with the tops of the two metal framed windows a large (1cm wide extending 1 mtr past the window) crack extends horizontall along the mortar line. No cracks in the brickwork and no sign of it trying to go down the wall.
The bungalow is a 1965 build and i have been told that because they used metal lintels above the windows if these get wet and rust they expand and can seperate the bricks in this manner.
Is this true or have i got something more sinister going on.
I dont want to get a surveyor in as i have just paid out £800 (with the vat) to a surveyor on another house we were considering but now pulled out of who basically told me nothing more than i already knew. So for example his response to these cracks would likely to be "there are cracks in the wall that need further investigation."
Thanks for any help and advise