I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.

My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).

One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph

The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
token effort at some repointing).

Should I:

a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?

Thanks,

Ben

benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com wrote:

> Should I:
> 
> a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
> b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
> available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
> like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?


Can't see a real problem from your photo. Can't you
just leave it?

There is still a hairline crack running up the mortar beds and through
a couple of bricks. Nothing you could get a coin in, but I feel if
nothing else I should stop water getting in as with a solid wall there
isn't the cavity to help prevent penetrating damp.... (not a problem at
the moment, but could be in the winter).

Thanks,

Ben

wrote in message 
news:1125649628.074391.238690@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

>I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.
>
> My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
> frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).
>
> One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):
>
> http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph
>
> The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
> token effort at some repointing).
>
> Should I:
>
> a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
> b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
> available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
> like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?
>


My house has had a bigger crack than that for >20 years, which is well 
before I bought it.  I think its just settling after the house end was 
rebuilt around 1972.  It's got breeze blocks on the inside.

Never really given it a second thought or even tried to fix it.  The main 
thing is to check it's not growing.  A patch of cement pasted over it will 
prove this over the course of a year or so.


rusty

On 2 Sep 2005 01:27:08 -0700, "benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com"
 wrote:


>I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.
>
>My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
>frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).
>
>One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):
>
>http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph
>
>The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
>token effort at some repointing).
>
>Should I:
>
>a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
>b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
>available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
>like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
>c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?


I'd simply fill the cracks with mortar to prevent the ingress of
moisture.

Obviously, if the window frames are structural and one has failed you
should get it repaired.

sponix

On 2 Sep 2005 01:27:08 -0700, "benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com"
 wrote:

| I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.
| 
| My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
| frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).
| 
| One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):
| 
| http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph
| 
| The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
| token effort at some repointing).

Can only just see it on the photo, so it is not too bad.
Repoint it, and wait a few years.
If it gets worse do something, otherwise ignore it.
All houses have cracks :-(
-- 
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> 
"Intelligent Design?" my knees say *not*.
"Intelligent Design?" my back says *not*.

In article ,
   benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com  wrote:

> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?


That would be my choice, and use lime mortar to accommodate any future
movement.

-- 
*I started out with nothing...  and I still have most of it.

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com wrote:

> I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.
> 
> My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
> frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).
> 
> One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):
> 
> http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph
> 
> The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
> token effort at some repointing).
> 
> Should I:
> 
> a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
> b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
> available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
> like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ben
> 


Do nothing. I can hardly see a crack. To put this in perspective, 
insurance companies don't entertain claims unless you can put your fist 
in the crack. That's their idea of a crack :-)

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 09:27:08 +0100, benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com  
 wrote:


> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?


Probably best. do not remove too manybricks at once.

http://www.axp.mdx.ac.uk/~john49/foundfaq.htm

May be useful.

John Schmitt

-- 
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:27:03 +0100, Rusty  wrote:


> Never really given it a second thought or even tried to fix it.  The main
> thing is to check it's not growing.  A patch of cement pasted over it  
> will
> prove this over the course of a year or so.


Better still, a couple of offcuts from your glazier or microscope slides  
fixed across the crack with a dob of car body filler at each end will  
indicate progressive movement.

John Schmitt

-- 
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

In article , 
benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com says...

> I am new to this group, and have just bought my own house.
> 
> My house is a 1930 end of terrace, and was built with structural window
> frames supporting the outer skin of brick (solid walls).
> 
> One of these has obviously failed at some point (see photo):
> 
> http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/benjamin_hawkins999/detail?.dir=/5c98&.dnm=8ab3.jpg&.src=ph
> 
> The window has been bricked up, but the crack remains (there has been a
> token effort at some repointing).
> 
> Should I:
> 
> a) Use helifix bars and helibond?
> b) Use an epoxy crack repair injection? Does anyone know if these are
> available in coaxial tubes so you can use them in a standard mastic gun
> like polyester resin, rather than buying a special gun?
> c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?
> 

Stop worrying about it unless it's significantly bigger in a couple of 
years - and don't be surprised if it expands and contracts with seasonal 
change.  Most of all don't start using hard fixes in a soft wall - 
repointing with hard cement mortar when the original is soft lime mortar 
could create more problems than it solves.

In article , John49
@mdx.ac.uk says...

> On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:27:03 +0100, Rusty  wrote:
> 
> > Never really given it a second thought or even tried to fix it.  The main
> > thing is to check it's not growing.  A patch of cement pasted over it  
> > will
> > prove this over the course of a year or so.
> 
> Better still, a couple of offcuts from your glazier or microscope slides  
> fixed across the crack with a dob of car body filler at each end will  
> indicate progressive movement.
> 

That will indicate movement of any kind, it won't tell you if it's 
progressive or seasonal.

Dave Fawthrop wrote:

> All houses have cracks :-(


Cracks are better than bulges IMHO

Owain

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:


> In article ,
>    benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com  wrote:
> 
>>c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?
> 
> 
> That would be my choice, and use lime mortar to accommodate any future
> movement.


If you must do something (don't think I would looking at the size of the 
crack), then I would go for this option as well - assuming you can 
source bricks that will match well enough.


-- 
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
|          Internode Ltd -  http://www.internode.co.uk            |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|        John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk              |
\=================================================================/

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 16:22:45 +0100, John Rumm 
wrote:


>Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
>
>> In article ,
>>    benjamin.p.hawkins@gmail.com  wrote:
>> 
>>>c) Replace broken bricks and repoint?
>> 
>> 
>> That would be my choice, and use lime mortar to accommodate any future
>> movement.
>
>If you must do something (don't think I would looking at the size of the 
>crack), then I would go for this option as well - assuming you can 
>source bricks that will match well enough.


'suppose you heard about, "Police discover crack in Australia"? 
sorry :-)