Cracks in garage.

[kyran]

Im currently buying a property that's has had previous subsidence, my level 3 survey has picked up cracks in garage which he says is likely ongoing subsidence. But im not so sure, as I think its more to do with the rsj... any help?

[Marvin]

Hi @kyran

 

It looks like the wall on the right hand side of the crack is dropping going away from the left hand side. Yes the RSJ on the pad stone is pushing down, but the foundations holding up the RSJ wall appear not to be capable of holding up the load.  Also it looks like the crack is where 2 different walls have met, presumably the foundations below each part of the wall are different.

 

You may also want to clarify how much this house insurance would cost.

Also what caused the previous subsidence. Was it a drain or roots or quality of the foundations or the soil.

You can pay a high insurance premium for a building that has had subsidence for 20 years!

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Marvin
minor change.

[kyran]

I can currently get building insurance, for £50 a month but thats only if there is no ongoing subsidence! I want to get structual engineer involved but its the cost I may lose if I pull out of the transaction! The original cause was root induced clay shrinkage from the shrubs in the front garden!https://imgur.com/a/6TtnVgd these are all the photos I have of the garage, the cracks do not go to the floor and the different brickwork doesnt go to the slab either, which make me think it was a repair job in the past! 

[Marvin]

A rather poor drawing of what has happened so far and what could happen.. Note the gap at the top wider than at the bottom. Extreme drawing I know but you see how it falls and why the crack is bigger at the top and at this stage not visable at the bottom because it has not gone that far yet.

 

Edited 39 minutes ago by Marvin
clarification

[kyran]

I did originally think this but I sent photos to a strcutual enginer, and he said with subsidence the cracks dont fade away at the top!

[ProDave]

Unless this property is special or particularly cheap, I would look for a different one to buy.  Why take on such an unknown and possibly expensive risk unless it was cheap?

 

A bit more context where this garage is in relation to the rest of the house might help?  Is this the outer wall of an adjoined garage?  The wall between the garage and the rest of the house etc?  The joists suggest it might be an extension built above an existing attached garage and perhaps the foundations were inadequate etc.

[kyran]

This wall is attached to the house with no other cracks the other side, this is all part of the original house. The house is relatively cheap and we are now at the point of exchanging contracts! All that is above where the crack is, a balcony.