Cracks on the front of the house (quite a few)

[morphe]

We have had cracks on the front of the house, been there a while now. Which is the best way to tackle it, our insurance company insures against subsidence. Do you think its best to phone the insuarance company up or get our own surveyor to check it out?
Not sure what step to take TBH
Any advice welcome.

 

[Richard C]

Are the cracks in the brickwork or in some form of rendering? It all depends on how long they have been there & if they are still growing; to be honest, without seeing it & with so little information it’s impossible to give any sort of judgement! I would get some independent advice, preferably not from someone who is only likely to give you a quote for repairs which you may not need!

Phone your insurance company first to see what they advise, they will almost certainly have a local surveyor on call to asses if they think there is the likelihood of any claim & it may be free!

 

[Static]

How big are the cracks(width)? what direction do they run (horizontal, vertical, diagonal)? Are they around the lintels?
Photos?

Going the insurance route can put a black mark on the property and make selling hard work.

 

[^woody^]

Cracks can exist for many various reasons, and unless they are getting progressively bigger (ie over 10mm) then I would not be concerned.