Hi,
If any building inspectors or knowledgeable ones here can give some opinions regarding the crack in the pictures? Rather long crack but was told it's minor since it's not wide and 40 ish year old house:
What should i do to fix/patch it? Will it be structural or just ground movement? Land is Sloping. Thanks.
Ah the 2nd and 3rd pics actually shows a longer crack… probably across 7-8 bricks.
The crack below the window is normal settling, if you can stick your finger in a crack then you have a problem, but smaller cracks can also be a problem depending on where they are.
The cracks below the window are okay, but what about above the window as you need to watch water ingress affecting the lintel (aka rusting) or water entering the room and therefore mould. I would have a check to see if rain can get into the cracks and if they can then you need to put some silicone filler that matches the brick as best as possible in the crack to seal it from weather.
Thanks for your reply. I will check if any above the window.
In a 40 year old house, nothing to worry about.
If you are interested in tracking it's progress, take closeup photos of a marked crack, with a tape / ruler across it. Compare after a year. It won't have moved much, if at all.
Thanks guys, give me a piece of mind. Somehow i had a buyer's remorse these few days. And kept thinking the little niggle i overlooked. :) Thanks again.
If it’s brick veneer rather than solid brick these cracks are usually superficial. The brick wall is just a veneer, like an outer skin. It’s only if its widening even more over time or wide now it needs a more serious look. Lots of an wide cracks in plaster walls internally and uneven floors are more of a worry. Lots of places have also had extensions and renovations that add new and different stresses and also new movement that can occur in wetter and dryer seasons.
Looks fine. Probably just settlement of soil or clay swelling (have you had more or less rain than usual?)
I wouldn't worry unless there's tunnelling underneath your place.
Refer to Table 3.02 for descriptions of categories of damage.
Should be fine if 40 years old and that's the only crack. If you really want you can seal up the crack to stop water from getting in. Best to measure width and monitor if it grows for 6-12 months.
The tree roots block the waste pipes and the water sitting in the soil weaken the soil and the weight of the building sinks part of it which causes a crack. Should be fine if you get rid of the tree and fix the plumbing.
And house looks 25 years old to me.
Ah, thanks. I was just guessing the age of the house. How do we know the exact age of the house? Section 32. Thanks.
Also if we didn't get rid off the tree is problem will be ongoing? Thanks
Any tree that close to a house will cause problems sooner or later either blocking your gutters with leaves or with roots affecting drainage and sewage.
Agreed, will definitely cut the tree. dunno if i can just cut it or ask for council approval. Thanks.
BTW, anyone knows if I can patch the crack and match the colour to camouflage it? Or i have to do rendering? Thanks.
Do what you like with it, it's your house.
My question was if i can patch n hide the crack. Apologies if not clear.
Anything is possible, but it will be difficult to colour match the brick and also match the surface texture. Mortar is easier, but adds complexity because it is different colour to the brick.
Very interesting. As the crack is only affecting 1.25 bricks it is no worth doing anything.