Plaster cracking around lintel

[Barb8]

I have just moved into a 1960's bungalow and after removing wallpaper there were cracks in the plaster around the window lintel. ( see pics). The right hand side has moved forward by about 4mm and the area just under the lintel is very slightly bowed and there is a vertical crack in the plaster underneath the sill. Do I need to be worried about this ? Any advice or ideas would be very welcome.

 

[^woody^]

Looks like some roof movement. May not be ongoing, but could do with looking at properly by a structural engineer if other windows are experiencing the same thing - especially on the opposite elevation.

 

[Barb8]

Thanks but there doesn't seem to be any problem with any other lintels but difficult to say without removing paper.

 

[Chainsawcharlie]

Looks almost like mine was cracks and everything even down to the colour of paint lol
We spotted it 27 years ago when we moved in, and just redecorated and it was still the same no change.
I suppose if its concrete lintel then it can shrink in relation to the surrounding materials

 

[Barb8]

Thanks for that. It gives me hope that it is nothing to worry about but I decided to get a structural engineer down anyway. It is somebody we have used before and is quite cheaply priced.

 

[Chainsawcharlie]

No worries mate, I seem to remember running it past someone in the know when I first saw mine, and was quickly reassured it was quite normal.

PS make sure you get your structural engineer to put things in writing, alot of them hate to put things in written form if they can get away with it. Although that maybe tricky or un necessary I guess if its a friend
Good luck mate

 

[Barb8]

Thanks. He's not a friend but his name was given to us by a well established firm.

 

[Chainsawcharlie]

Definitely get a written report, you just never know when you might need it mate

 

[Barb8]

Thanks. I will

 

[stillyoung@55]

Hi both
I've been looking through the forum to see if anyone had this issue as I appear to have a similar thing.
I only noticed this the other day when the windows were being replaced. I can't get up to take a look myself, but I've got cracked and brittle plaster on the inside too but it's an old 1900's house. The scaffolding in the image is there for the new windows, it doesn't touch the property.
I just wondered how you got on Barb8?