External cracks

[MarkiUK]

Looking at buying an upstairs maisonette.

There’s a vertical crack running to the left of both ground floor windows.

I have inserted a very thin feeler gauge on the left hand crack and it went deep, so crack must be in the bricks.

What would cause this? Anything to worry about?

Pics attached.

Thanks

 

[Wayners]

Common place for cracks because of weight difference under window and to the side

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Probably horizontal shrinkage. If the wall's going to snap then it's going to break where it's 3 foot tall rather than 8 foot.

It doesn't look like there's any vertical movement, so the place isn't sinking, at least not in this spot.

If it's wider at the top than the bottom then it may be that it's sinking further away on one or both sides of it, i.e. the two sides are tipping away from each other.

Does the wall have full support from the floor below, and can you see issues with this?

A corner is a natural weak point of anything. It's why aircraft have rounded windows.

 

[stevie888]

It looks as though the wall is different maybe a door converted to a window? Probably cracked soon after construction due to inadequte tieing in.

I don't think there's much to worry about

 

[MarkiUK]

Does the wall have full support from the floor below, and can you see issues with this?

Sorry, would you mind explaining in more detail what you mean?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I mean if it's on the first floor then is there a wall directly under it on the floor below, or does it span a gap?