Large crack on wall...Builder suggested a fix. Is it a proper job?

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mayrp2001

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Hi,

I have a breeze block out building that has a very substantial crack along the back wall. Big enough at points that you can actually see light through on the other side.

My builder had suggested that because it was just a shed of sorts, that he could just 'brace' the wall with metal brackets horizontally to the crack to support the wall and simply plaster over the crack.

All I want is for the building to be safe. Is this something that builders might do? Will the back wall last with this method.

I also must point out that the crack along the wall has been this way for a large number of year. Maybe around 15 years and I have never noticed any worsening.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
 
Yes that's an acceptible method. Several staps and long enough to fix into sound blockwork each side of the crack.

Or if has not gone anywhere in all those years and is not wobbling about, just point it up with polymer mastic sealant.
 
^woody^ said:
Yes that's an acceptible method. Several staps and long enough to fix into sound blockwork each side of the crack.

Or if has not gone anywhere in all those years and is not wobbling about, just point it up with polymer mastic sealant.
Click to expand...


Thanks very much for the reply. My only concern is, maybe me saying a crack makes it sound better than it is. The wall is actually leaning inwards a bit, and it is very noticeable if you put your head against the wall and look down it. As I said before this doesn't seem to have moved in many years. The builder mentioned that the crack was indeed very strange in the way it has went up the wall. Not entirely sure what he meant by that. But I did ask him if he thought it was the foundations causing the issue and he said no.
 
Pictures might help.

Is the leaning wall because of the crack, or is it a case of the leaning wall also having a crack. The two would normally be unrelated going by the first post.
 
The way that crack is displaced - the wall on one side of the crack is stepped back from the wall on the other side, would indicate that the wall bow is the cause of the crack. This would likely be foundation movement due to the trees or other ground condions, but another possiblity would be the wall is not being restrained by the roof or ceiling and wind as caused it.

In either case, the bow in the wall and therefore movement of the crack, is not going to be rectified by straps if the thing that caused the bow is not dealt with. Straps can be successful with restraining movement if the wall is one direction only, but if one wall section is moving inwards or outwards, or up and down, then straps wont help.
 
^woody^ said:
The way that crack is displaced - the wall on one side of the crack is stepped back from the wall on the other side, would indicate that the wall bow is the cause of the crack. This would likely be foundation movement due to the trees or other ground condions, but another possiblity would be the wall is not being restrained by the roof or ceiling and wind as caused it.

In either case, the bow in the wall and therefore movement of the crack, is not going to be rectified by straps if the thing that caused the bow is not dealt with. Straps can be successful with restraining movement if the wall is one direction only, but if one wall section is moving inwards or outwards, or up and down, then straps wont help.
Click to expand...

Hi. The builder mentioned that he thinks it was due to a tree that isn't too far from the wall in the picture.
 
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