Looking at a house which has cracks in one or more of the walls ?
Remember to be very wary of cracks in a newish building as it could get a lot worse.
than it is sofar.If however the house is an old house the problem causing the cracks has been there a long time and you will likely find that what you see is as bad as it is likely to get (in an older house that is).
Pisces133
hi peter
i remember talking to an engineer and he said that cracking through the middle of bricks was more of a problem, while cracking around the mortar could be caused by many things including lack of moisture ( a real problem for many areas at the moment).
regards westanPeter,that is not really correct.Cracks in a newish building may either be serious or minor.Cracks appearing in new brickwork may be due to failure of the footing,shrinkage of reactive soils during dry periods,inadequately filled joints when the wall was laid,poor mortar quality (dirty or wrong sand,poor mixing quantities of ingredients,absence of limil etc……) or the wall may even not be sitting directly on the footing (it happens!).Cracks in older brickwork could also be due to similar problems,or because the foundation under the footing has moved/subsided/swelled etc.Or it could even be that the building has suffered some mechanical damage such as being struck by the tow bar of a reversing vehicle.Cracks appearing in the interior of a solid brick house could be for the same reasons as above,or there may be an old window or door that has been bricked up and plastered over that was not properly tied in to the existing brickwork.
Cracks in plaster board could be from shrinkage of the frame as it dries,mechanical damage,poor work practice during installation,structural deficiencies in the framework,poor repair of previous damage,or even a lack of reinforcing during jointing.
The causes of cracking in building fabric can be many and varied,and each case should be looked at by a competent person,on a case by case basis.
hi tools
welcome to the forum, thanks for your contribution.
regards westanHi Tools,
Thanks for the comprehensive overview. I’m saving your post for future reference as you appear to know what you are talking about. You mentioned poor mixing of quantities. A builder mate told me of the deals with brickies and contractors. Apparently a brickie might provide his own lime, with the sand provided by the contractor. A lack of lime has seen the need for re-pointing in older homes years later as the mortar subsides.
Any truth in this yarn from your point of view?
Kind regards and welcome to the discussions, Phil.
Hi Westan…thanks for the welcome!
Hi Phil….in the old days (ie,before myy time..)cement was not used in a mortar mix,it was just a mix of sand and lime.This mix was much softer than present day mortars,so if you are buying second hand bricks that have not been cleaned,pray that they are covered with lime mortar and not cement.Volume builders usually pay bricklayers $X per 1000 bricks,with the bricky supplying cement and lime.So they often skimp on these to boost their profits.
Lime in modern mortar has 2 purposes.It makes the mix easier for the bricky to work,and it also gives the finished wall some joint flexibility without cracking.Some people think that adding alittle extra cement will make their wall stronger,but the increased bond with the bricks doesn’t allow for any flexibility ,and instead of getting cracks in mortar joints,bricks will carck,as Westan mentioned.
I am happy to answer any other building related matters!
With new buildings/houses it’s prudent if not a must to do a soil test so the structural engineer could design the type of footing and hence avoid the possibility of cracking.
G’day Tools…
I see your from NSW… Not too farfrom the Yass district I hope?
I need good sound advice… Convict built “formerInn” …!846 Convivt built,,, lime morter,,, no cement,,, Help? Please contact me I wish tio restore,,, 55 minutes,from Canberra,, invaluable… thats where ny heart is, Please help/
I intend to live there,,in tent if need be..Wile being restored.. registered with Historical Society
Cheers Bill
02 63421274 0419 636 449
Bill O’Mara
Real Estate,Mortgages, Option Writing & Forex. [email protected]Hey Bill,looks liek you are a bit of a night owl……
I am actually in Melbourne…long story,but I can’t change the state on my profile.
I don’t understand what the problem is with your building.Are you concerned just because it is lime mortar?If so,I wouldn’t be concerned.There is nothing wrong with lime as long as it is in good condition.Or has it deteriorated?My house was built in 1912,has lime mortar,and it is almost in perfect condition.I did however re-point the front walls that face west and receive all the weather.But that was only because someone had the bright idea of painting the beautiful red bricks,and in removing the paint,the tuck popinting was damaged as well.
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