Cracks in mortar in joining bricks

[Mjrobson82]

Hi
I've lived in my house for 12 years and the current kitchen window before we moved in, used to be patio doors to the garden. The previous owner bricked it up and put a window in. I think he did the work himself.
I have always noticed some missing or loose cement between the new bricks he put in to join the main wall.
However lately these gaps seem to be bigger. I don't know if I am just taking more notice now I am older as I moved in when I was 22 and wasn't the most observant person.
It seems to zig zag from the top (it's a single story kitchen) to the bottom in the cement, being wider in the middle than the top and bottom.
The gaps all seem to be on the right side, for example the cement is stuck to the brick on the left and the gap exists between the right side of the cement and the next brick, almost as if that section has shifted to the left by a few millimetres.
I'm just looking for reassurance really. I'm assuming subsidence would be moving down and can't go totally sideways?
Is this just original settlement from shoddy workmanship as it's been at least 15 years since it was done according to housing documents. Or is something else going on? Could an original settlement crack have just been weathered away all of these years to look bigger?

Thanks guys.

 

[Mjrobson82]

I have found some pictures also. The two cracked bricks have always been like that, you can't see well from the pictures but in person you can clearly see as they were building up the wall the bricks didn't line up so it's almost like they've broken those 2 in half and titled one side to make them fit. The brick above and below are not at that angle. Anyway, this cement cracks seems to follow the bricks put in place to the existing wall.

 

[Mjrobson82]

2nd pix

 

[John D v2.0]

could be settlement, athough make sure the bricks were built onto something solid (i.e. not the floor boards) and if it's all fine try scraping out the mortar and repointing with fresh.

 

[Mjrobson82]

Thanks
I'm not great at DIY but I should be able to manage a bit of pointing.
Other side of the window is fine, no cracks. Beneath the window is also fine, I would image the bricks were put back upon original foundations as the extension was built in 1987 then made into patio doors sometime after then reverted back again.
There are no cracks on the other exterior wall of the kitchen around the corner.
I'm hoping it's just crap workmanship that's weathered.
Although I have cut down 3 large conifer trees this year that were only small when we moved in. One of them has caused some damage to a garden wall but the appearance of it is totally different to this.
If it is related then I've hopefully prevented any further worsening.

 

[^woody^]

Not settlement, just a combination of poor quality work and shrinkage.

Repoint with mortar, or fill with silicone. If repointing with mortar, you will need to chop it out to half the thickness of the wall, and ram the new pointing back in well.

 

[Mjrobson82]

Thanks woody