Wall cracks, advice very much appreciated

[Redbeard]

Is that the front moving or the side falling off, or both?! As per @saveasteading comment, it does appear awful.

[Mike Hawkins]

It has just physically lifted up, I think the photo angle makes it a little more dramatic, hopefully!!!?!

[ProDave]

15 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

I claim no skills whatsoever with digital pic-wrangling, but try this:

 

I could see that being caused by a lintel if it was a steel lintel, now rusting and expanding.

 

Re pictures.  A lot of phones now try to be helpful by auto rotating an image.  So if viewing and posting on a phone you may not even know it is coming out the wrong way up.

 

I prefer not to uses such "helpful" features so I know if a picture is posted the right way up or not.

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks for that Prodave.

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

I could see that being caused by a lintel if it was a steel lintel, now rusting and expanding

Same happened to my mothers house, same era of shit building / shit quality steel that rusted and burst all the bricks out exactly as per the OP case.

 

My money is on rusting / expanding lintels forcing the brickwork up / outwards.

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks Nick, hoping that’s the worst case scenario!

[saveasteading]

 

3 hours ago, Redbeard said:

The whole estate was built like this

ouch. i confess that i didnt know this happened. At least the structure wont fail, just the facade.

I'd expect somerhing like this image, pehaps without the insulation. I thought this was standard.  You might find yours  as a plate about 10mm to 20mm behind the mortar face. Or have one brick gently removed for inspection behind it.

Repointing. The cracks may close a little when the ground becomes damp again, esp on clay. So don't fill the cracks until springtime.

 

Do you know what the ground is? Clay, sand whatever

How far are any hedges or trees from the front right corner?

 

[Redbeard]

Don't worry, @saveasteading, we are shot of this now, but the issue described pole-axed a sale in 2017! There had been luxuriant ivy and cotoneaster growth all over that elevation  till a few years before, despite my attempts to get them removed, so they probably had something to do with it. And like you, I'd have expected some steel in the outer leaf, but believe me, it wasn't there. I do love the concept of 'Structural Chicken Wire', though! The house opposite me (in a different part of the country) appears to be similarly afflicted, judging by the droopy soldier course! (Just realised that your later Qs were probably for the OP, not for me!)

[saveasteading]

20 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

Just realised that your later Qs were probably for the OP, not for me!)

apologies. yes specifics for the op.   Your info of building on windows is added to my cynicism bank, though, thanks for the pic.