Cracks in External Walls

I've noticed some hitherto unseen cracks in the brickwork of our 1930s house in the last few weeks. I suspect that the dry conditions and dry ground conditions might be responsible. We've had no other changes.

Mary

"BT Openworld" wrote | Over the last few months I've emerged with cracks in the mortar in | my external brick walls

sounds painful :-)

| zig-zagging upwards from the top of the front window on both sides. | The house is a standard Barratts type built in 1970. | I need to get a surveyor on the case to track if there is still movement , | but wondering does anyone have experience of such cracks and what remedies | where available. The cracks are about 5mm wide. Last year, we did remove a | bush from along the front of the house, I'm suspecting that is what has | caused the problem...

You could just stick some tell-tales on the walls yourself and keep a monitor every couple of weeks for a few months.

Crack Monitors

WOW !!!! Only 5 mm in just over thirty years ? That's not bad at all. Have any of the lintels over the doorways or windows separated away from the rest of the brickwork ? Are the lintels themselves showing signs of cracks ? Is your roof beginning to bow or sink ? Is the gable of the house where the crack is appearing, beginning to lean over ?

If any answer to any of the above questions is yes, then get someone to have a look at it ASAP, otherwise, keep an eye on it and see if it is rapidly advancing or if any of the major dangers signs above begin to show. You'll probably find more of these little settlement cracks appearing around the place, especially on a property of this age. The tenement we stay in was recently repointed on the outside and some plastering work done on the inside because little cracks had appeared on some of the walls and everyone thought it needed attending too. After all, this building has been standing here for 120 years and needed just a little love 'n' stuff.

If you are worried, then get a local builder or surveyor to look at it, for a price.

Load bearing bush?

HUMIDITY???

THIS YEAR????????????

Mary