Cracks in Wall at Corners of First Floor Window All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[Spurge]

New here so first post.

Does anybody have an opinion on what might have caused these cracks and whether they are serious or not please? They have developed at the corners of the first floor windows above a ground floor roof (looks like an extension but isn't, its part of the original build). The house is 4 yours old.

Thanks for your help.

[PeterClark]

This type of cracking is caused by movement of some kind. A full survey is required to pinpoint the exact cause but there are a few things to look out for. Is the house built on a hill, what type of ground is it built on? If it is on a hill and the ground is clay then is the house built on piles, generally it would be. If this is the case then you could be looking at land slip or subsidence. The first thing to find out is if the walls are still moving. This is a simple procedure you can do yourself. Cement a piece of glass across the gaps in two or three places and observe what happens over a two or three month period. If the glass breaks then the cracks are still live. You will need the advice of a professional builder. If the glass doesn't break then clean out the cement along the cracks and re-point the brickwork. No further action required.