Lintel failure or subsidence

[ss152]

Moved into a late 1920's on 1st September and noticed some rather nasty crack on corner of PVC door. Also right part of door didn't quite close correctly. Also noticed that there are two cracks in lintel, think that lintel is wood.
No obvious cracks on outside of doors where lintel is but there is a longish though not particularly wide crack in the render above it. Also seems the render has lots of filler and patch work relative to rest of house.
We did a homebuyers level 3 in July and surveyor didn't see any issues with cracks. We got him to come back again 2 weeks ago to check and still says not subsidence, but want to check he's not covering himself.
We do have a large tree quite close.
Have attached some photos.

Thank you in advance!

 

[catlad]

You have got a problem there.

 

[catlad]

Can you post a picture of the the outside from further back?

 

[^woody^]

Don't look like subsidence or lintel failure cracks. What did the surveyor say?

 

[Koolpc]

Old building = living structure.

Doors slamming, old plaster etc etc.....cracks appear.

 

[ss152]

Can you post a picture of the the outside from further back?

here are two pics from this morning, one of further away (have to zoom in to see the crack) and a close up of crack in the lintel

 

[ss152]

Don't look like subsidence or lintel failure cracks. What did the surveyor say?

I cant remember the exact conversation as was so paranoid about subsidence so was just listening for that and relieved when he said it wasn't, but he seemed to imply a problem with the lintel - the second storey was an extension about 30 years ago and perhaps the lintel just isn't strong enough to support it. as the picture shows, there appears to be a lot of filler / patch work on that wall, not sure if that is significant or not. also alluded to a tree quite close by that would need some management.

i commissioned a structural engineer to come last Friday, but frankly think this guy was a waste of time. he didn't seem with it at all, was barely here an hour and he alluded to 'movement' and 'talk to your insurance', but honestly he just seemed to be lazy and taking an easy option of pointing us to insurance. I'm still waiting for his report and will likely forward that to surveyor if he comes back with anything negative.

if you don't think its subsidence or lintel failure cracks, what could it be? is this something a builder would need to come and sort out?

the previous owners were here for 17 years, and during conveyancing said "they were not aware of any historical or current subsidence", so that either means that they have just covered it up with filler etc and didn't claim on insurance, or something very very recently has happened here...or this is something else?

 

[tony1851]

IMO you don't really have a problem there. It looks as though there is a traditional tile creasing over the frame (a common way of finishing rendering over an opening in the old days).
Quite likely, this was built off the original timber door frame, which has then been disturbed when the PVC frame was installed, hence the crack - probably where two tiles came together?
The other external cracks are of no consequence and common with rendering.
The internal crack may look alarming but might be hard gypsum plaster unable to accommodate slight movement of a timber internal lintel.
Dont loose any sleep over it.

 

[George_engineer]

Highly indicative of lintel failure/no lintel as tony says - may have been a timber window before which carried some load).

Some minor settlement/ground movement could have exacerbated things but does not appear to be the cause.

You'll need to get that paint off to have a look what is going on underneath.

 

[^woody^]

if you don't think its subsidence or lintel failure cracks, what could it be

Thermal movement - ie shinkage of the wall.

The internal plaster cracks are more indicative of stress cracks not vertical movement, and the location and type around where a lintel would be means movement of the wall around the lintel not failure of the lintel.
Location of external cracks would support sideways movement from shrinkage, not up or down movement from anything else.
Crack above frame indicates shrinkage, not the wall above moving downwards

That's not to say it can't be another cause, but diagnosis is based on the most likely from the evidence available. If you monitor this, or have further investigation carried out then it may be that new evidence supports a different cause.

DO NOT get a builder to look at it as they are not qualified to diagnose the probelm or recommend a repair. You do need a professional opinion from a structural engineer or building surveyor qualified in structural matters.

 

[ss152]

Guys, thank you so much for taking the time to look at this and make some replies, really appreciate it.

After a bit of googling, I'm looking at giving these guys a call for a quote https://www.allcottassociates.co.uk/rics-surveys/specific-defect-surveys/
Do you think this would be the right thing to do next? Should we get someone to remove the plaster around the internal cracks / lintels and then someone to remove the render around the outside - before the survey is done so they can see whats going on beneath? Who can i get to do that?

 

[^woody^]

If you are going to appoint those surveyors, or any surveyors, ensure that you tell them that you expect them to be able to diagnose the problem without recommending further inspection by a structural engineer. They may recommend further investigation themselves, but you don't want a surveyor's report and then a structural engineer's report and having to pay for both.

Also ask them if they would like the wall exposed, and to what extent. Send them photos if they would help.

If anything, I would leave the external and expose the lintel bearing area as that will need repairing anyway - but ask whoever is inspecting first.

 

[George_engineer]

Get three quotes - that RICS firm and an independent structural engineer or two.

And... I would knock off the loose plaster and post a picture here!

 

[ss152]

We have a plasterer coming tomorrow as it happens as we are doing some decorating elsewhere so i can ask him to have a go at removing the loose plaster.

We are based in the Leicester area so happy to hear of any local recommended surveyors / structural engineers

 

[catlad]

Would I be right in thinking that was a window originally rather than french doors?