Cracks in the Wall
29 March 2024
Cracks in the wall happen, especially if you’re talking about an older building. Here, we look at cracks in the wall and how to establish whether a crack is a serious issue or not.
Checking Cracks in the Wall
Look at the crack’s direction – vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. This shows the direction of movement, which is always perpendicular to the crack itself.
Is the crack an even width throughout, or does it widen at one end? Tapered cracks suggest rotational movement.
Consider the size and width. Any structural wall crack wider than 5mm is significant and needs professional assessment. Cracks of this size usually require robust repairs or reinforcement.
Check its position. The location helps determine the cause and the necessary repairs.
Estimating a crack’s age isn’t always possible. However, if it can be done, it helps assess severity. A previously repaired crack that continues to open suggests ongoing movement and requires remedial work.
Case Study: Cracks in a Period Property
The photo in this blog shows first-floor windows in a traditionally built property from around 1890. The ground floor houses a takeaway, with self-contained residential flats above.
In this case, diagonal cracks above the left-hand window resulted from a failed structural timber beam. This beam supports the brickwork above the shopfront.
Key Observations from the Image
- The cracks are tapered (wider at the top).
- The brick arch above the window sits lower on the right side.
- The widest cracks exceed 5mm.
- The casement window had distorted due to movement and could not open.
These factors confirmed that the brick column between the first-floor windows had dropped. The timber beam above the shopfront failed to provide adequate support.
Further inspection revealed that the beam had suffered severe timber decay due to poor external maintenance.
The Cost of Ignoring Structural Issues
The lack of maintenance led to extensive and expensive repairs. The project required temporary propping, a new steel beam, large-scale brickwork repairs, and replacement windows. These cracks were serious!
What to Do If You Spot Cracks
If cracks appear in your property, follow the steps above to assess them. Still unsure? Give our team a call!
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idth of crack. In general terms, any crack within a structural wall wider than 5mm should be considered significant, and be professionally assessed. Cracks of this size will typically require some form of robust repair and/or strengthenin
- Examine its position. The positioning of a crack will help determine its cause and therefore the required remedial works.
- Estimating the age of a crack is not always possible, although if it can be achieved, is a great tool in helping to determine the severity of the issue. Likewise, a crack that has clearly been repaired in the past and continues to open up is a sure sign that whatever movement is happening is progressive, and will definitely require some form of remedial attention
The photograph with this blog shows the first-floor windows within a traditionally constructed property, dating from circa 1890, with commercial (take away) premises at ground floor level and self-contained residential flats above.
In this instance, the diagonal cracks occurring above the left-hand window are caused due to a failed structural timber beam which supports the brickwork above the glass shopfront serving the ground floor premises.
Key points to note from the image:
- The cracks are tapered (wider at the top)
- The base of the brick arch above the window is lower on the right-hand side compared with the left
- At their widest points, the cracks are clearly in excess of 5mm
- Although not visible from the image, the casement window had suffered significant distortion as a result of the movement and could not be opened
All of the above factors demonstrated that the central column of brickwork situated between the two first-floor windows had dropped due to inadequate support offered by a timber beam in place above the ground floor shopfront.
After further inspection, following exposure works, the beam was found to have suffered extensive timber decay brought on by poor external maintenance of the building.
Extensive – and expensive – temporary propping, a replacement (steel) beam, large-scale brick repairs and replacement windows were necessary, all as a consequence of not carrying out routine building maintenance. These cracks were serious!
If you are concerned with cracks in your property, then follow the outlined identification processes above. Following which, if you remain concerned then give one of our team a call!
Get in Touch
To speak with a member of the TCL team about our services,
simply give us a call on 020 3176 0029, or email us at info@tcl-surveyors.co.uk
