Urgent Help!!! Huge vertical crack discovered under render

[Halebop]

Hi I am fairly new to the forum - I have been a bit of a 'window shopper' looking at the forums for about a year - but this is my first post.

We are currently undertaking our biggest project ever by completely re-doing a roughly 4x4m flat conservatory roof. We have been in the house for a year an a half and this last winter it leaked quite badly.

We pulled some of the plaster off around where it was leaking about 6mths ago to discover that the wooden lintel above the window is in a poor state.

Today we started ripping of the old roof and started to remove the old render (which is also shot and needs replacing over the whole house anyway) only to find that to the left of the lintel there is a very nasty looking crack right through the brickwork going up about 4ft untill it hits the upstairs window sill.

The really worrying thing is that on the inside wall of the upstairs room there is a large crack on the plaster in roughly the same place.

Help!!!! Am I panicking for nothing or do we have a major problem here. I have called a local builder from the Yellow Pages who has promised to come and have a look today - but is this something we could sort ourselves? Is it likely to be expensive?

We have both taken the week off work especially to get this roof done, and we are doing it ourselves to save money - we can't afford thousands to fix this problem.

Has anyone ever seen the film the moneypit - I feel like I am in it!!!!!

I would be very gratefull for any advice!!

Thank you!

 

[JohnD]

I wonder how old the house is, and where it is.

Pictures would help.

 

[^woody^]

Cracks, large and small, are very common and only in extreme cases are they worth worrying about

Pictures and a better description of the property type and construction would be helpful

And make sure you don't agree to everything the first builder tells you, as you sound in a bit of a panic. Get some other quotes/opinions

 

[Halebop]

Thanks for the advice.

The builder came and said we needed a new RSJ (which I think is probably right as the old wooden one is pretty rotten) as eventually the wall will be re-rendered and if there was any further movement the new render will crack.

He did say the crack in the brickwork is not a major problem and he will just re-point and possibly replace a few broken bricks.

He can start tomorrow and said it will take a couple of days and will cost £400 plus whatever the RSJ costs.

I probably am panicking a bit but we really need it sorted this week so that we can get the conservatory watertight before my partner starts his new job next Monday.

I have got a photo but I'm sorry I can't work out how to put it on the post!

Regards

 

[Diyisfun]

I would be concerned with a builder that can start tomorrow
I know its only a small job, so maybe he is fitting you in.

 

[JohnD]

try "Forum Information"

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73320

 

[Halebop]

Thanks for the info about posting pics - I havn't got a website though so I presume I can't do it.

 

[^woody^]

Try www.imageshack.us and then post the link or image or thumbnail

 

[Halebop]

Cool - that was easier than I expected!!!

Thanks!

 

[noseall]

the brick bond, header stretcher, is partly to blame.

just where the building needed a bit of meat in the brickwork, the builders have left a vulnerable straightish nick bond and has resulted in a bit of separation.

the main problem is the timber lintel giving a bit, but has not been helped at all by the weak bonded brickwork above.