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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> Cracks around house https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1589126728 Message started by Golders on May 10th, 2020, 5:05pm

Title: Cracks around house Post by Golders on May 10th, 2020, 5:05pm [gallery fullsize]Golders/1589126579.jpg[/gallery]Hi we have noticed new cracks in our property. When we purchased the house 3 years ago there were a few cracks and we were told the house had been underpinned 30 years ago when a side extension was put on.  We knew that there was always a risk. The people before had definately done some poor DIY on the property but maybe stupidly we decided to purchase. Anyway we have noticed a few more cracks recently and measured a pre existing hairline crack which has lengthened by about an inch. Part of the work done on the house was replacement of windows and doors and there has definately been brickwork moved i presume for different sizes. Above the kitchen door now the lintel is shorter than the frame and there definately seems to be bowing in the frame with the bricks about also showing cracking in between. Could the ahort lintel be to blame for some of this cracking? Ive added a photo in my gallery

Title: Re: Cracks around house Post by woodsmith on May 11th, 2020, 8:05am It's obviously not so easy to tell from a photo but it looks to me like the door/window frame was one brick short in height for the opening. This could be because they bought a cheaper standard size frame or didn't measure it correctly. Then they have filled the gap with mortar or stuck a piece of timber above the frame to fill the gap and painted it brick colour. I can see what hopefully  looks like the edge of a lintel, or damp proof material, above this so with any luck you should be ok. If you didn't have any lintel above this window I think the bricks would have come down long ago but if you are concerned you should get a structural engineer or building surveyor to look at it.

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