Crack in side of house

[benjamin.p.hawkins]

I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.

My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).

One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):

window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a token effort at some repointing).

Should I:

a) Use helifix bars and helibond? b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun? c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?

Thanks,

Ben

[Chris Bacon]

Can't see a real problem from your photo. Can't you just leave it?

[benjamin.p.hawkins]

There is still a hairline crack running up the mortar beds and through a couple of bricks. Nothing you could get a coin in, but I feel if nothing else I should stop water getting in as with a solid wall there isn't the cavity to help prevent penetrating damp.... (not a problem at the moment, but could be in the winter).

Thanks,

Ben

[Rusty]

> The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a

My house has had a bigger crack than that for >20 years, which is well before I bought it. I think its just settling after the house end was rebuilt around 1972. It's got breeze blocks on the inside.

Never really given it a second thought or even tried to fix it. The main thing is to check it's not growing. A patch of cement pasted over it will prove this over the course of a year or so.

rusty

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

I'd simply fill the cracks with mortar to prevent the ingress of moisture.

Obviously, if the window frames are structural and one has failed you should get it repaired.

sponix

[Dave Fawthrop]

| I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house. | | My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window | frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls). | | One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo): | |

| | The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a | token effort at some repointing).

Can only just see it on the photo, so it is not too bad. Repoint it, and wait a few years. If it gets worse do something, otherwise ignore it. All houses have cracks :-(

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That would be my choice, and use lime mortar to accommodate any future movement.

[Stuart Noble]

Do nothing. I can hardly see a crack. To put this in perspective, insurance companies don't entertain claims unless you can put your fist in the crack. That's their idea of a crack :-)

[John Schmitt]

Probably best. do not remove too manybricks at once.

be useful.

John Schmitt

[John Schmitt]

Better still, a couple of offcuts from your glazier or microscope slides fixed across the crack with a dob of car body filler at each end will indicate progressive movement.

John Schmitt

[Rob Morley]

Stop worrying about it unless it's significantly bigger in a couple of years - and don't be surprised if it expands and contracts with seasonal change. Most of all don't start using hard fixes in a soft wall - repointing with hard cement mortar when the original is soft lime mortar could create more problems than it solves.

[Rob Morley]

That will indicate movement of any kind, it won't tell you if it's progressive or seasonal.

[Owain]

Cracks are better than bulges IMHO

Owain

[John Rumm]

If you must do something (don't think I would looking at the size of the crack), then I would go for this option as well - assuming you can source bricks that will match well enough.

[mike]

'suppose you heard about, "Police discover crack in Australia"? sorry :-)