FAQs on brick wall or foundation cracking due to thermal expansion.

This article series describes extensive damage that can be caused to brick structures due to thermal expansion of long brick walls lacking expansion joints.

Q&A on How to Identify, Diagnose, & Evaluate Thermal Expansion Damage to Brick

These questions and answers about thermal expansion damage to brick structures were posted originally at x - be sure to see that article.

On 2019-01-13 by Anonymous - many cracks in 2 year old brick home

Watch out: You need an onsite expert, and there could be a collapse risk.

On 2019-01-12 by NR Swain

Sir our home is 2 years old but many cracks found in wall and roof. It sounds a cracking sound every 20 minutes interval. Plz help .. contact no is +917205734043

On 2018-08-10 13:33:16.934369 by (mod) -

Fred

The damage at the brick wall in your photo is certainly not normal expansion movement. Please see BRICK VENEER WALL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Brick-Veneer-Wall-Damage-Assessment.php

At the bottom of that article I include your original photo and an annotated version on which I point out what I can see from the very limited perspective of a single photo and brief text.

Let me know what you are told or what else you see in the veneer support system and foundation conditions and we may be able to comment further.

As I point out in my comments there, this situation is dangerous and risks serious injury: should the veneer bonds to structure be broken and the veneer collapse it could fall on someone - take immediate steps to keep people well away from this wall and get the expert help I describe at the link I've given.

On 2018-08-10 12:44:13.741853 by Fred Smith

I am figuring the thermal expansion is the cause. I had a foundation company come inspect they says its not a foundation problem. There's only cracks in 1 side of the veneer would that wall have to come down, and be replaced?

On 2017-05-24 by (mod) - If you are confident that the cracks are due to expansion and not settlement

DM

If you are confident that the cracks are due to expansion and not settlement or other structural movement, then it can make sense to saw an expansion joint and fill it with a suitable flexible sealant-caulk. You wouldn't need to drill, just use a masonry saw.

Note that if this is a brick veneer the depth will be just one brick thick.

On 2017-05-23 by D minyard

New home construction 18 months. Crks in brick straight down from windows to foundation.

No cracks in post tension cable foundation. No gaps installed between any bricks.

They put black plastic at base of brick up about 6 " inside brick wall. Also crack running horizontal between top of windows about 10' across. On S wall mostly.

Could we install/ drill and then caulk some expansion joints? Cracks are about 1/16" wide

On 2016-12-09 by (mod) - brick veneer or structural brick wall collapse danger

Frank

The immediate concern is risk of a veneer or structural collapse that could injure or kill someone. So first priority is to assess the safety of the building. In that case keep people away from the damaged areas.

I'd get an independent assessment from someone like an engineer familiar with residential masonry failures - else there's a conflict of interest.

On 2016-11-29 2 by Frank J. Smith

Please help! fsmithindy@gmail.com

I have major (brick) cracking around all sides of my house. Some is stair step cracking, most is extending out from the lintels above the garage doors and several windows.

I have had three brick masons and one builder come out and have had four different causes and two estimates ranging from $3600 to just now $13,500.

The last estimate sounds so ridiculous (cause of cracking) that it took everything in me to kick the mason off of my property. I'm perplexed. Who is the final authority on this type of an issue. Please help.

Thank you,

Frank

Cell: (317) 407-2290
email: fsmithindy@gmail.com

On 2016-07-21 by (mod) - vertical crack diagnosis guide

Check out the VERTICAL CRACK articles in the ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING STRUCTURES

On 2016-07-21 by Anonymous

A vertical brick wall crack

On 2015-09-30 by adams

Our home is in area of valley firehome is completely cinderblock.

No fire on home but a lot of new cracks. We had kept watch on cracks to make sure no problems but there are a lot of new cracks that wrote not there the day of the fire. Fire was near us but I don't know exactly how close or how much heat in area.I know burning was across the way to.

And on other side on the hill. The valley fire was so hot. Did this create the new cracking?

On 2015-08-22 by Bruce Widdowson

We just noticed a vertical crack on an upper wall of our brick home. There is no foundation or lower cracks seen. We just have had a 2.4 earthquake a month ago. No one reported damage.

On 2014-06-05 17:19:18.521930 by Anonymous

what is the acceptable standard solution for hairline cracks in the brick in a thermal stair step crack? I have two vendor opposing resolutions..

replace the brick on one hand and expand the crack and mortar the crack relieving the stress and of course,tuckpointing the area.does this weaken the brick by chasiming the brick and creating a mortar channel?

does this relieve the stress factors that caused the cracks in the first place?,

or should the fractured bricks need to be replaced? thanks for any ..and I mean ANY information that you can assist me with... Sharon Sudberry

On 2014-04-11 by (mod) - step cracking internally and externally - re-pointing won't fix ongoing movement

Claire I agree with your mason that re-pointing step cracks in mortar joints is a band-aid, a cosmetic repair that won't do a thing to prevent future cracks if the underlying cause is footing settlement or frost heaving.

Your insurer might be talking through her hat - thermal cracking would not typically occur as step cracks; more likely there is one or both of the causes I stated above.

On 2014-04-10 by Claire

We have step cracking internally and externally on a 1991 house, fine cracks began externally in 2001 soon after we bought and this has gradually got worse and cracks started internally in 2006 around upper windows on a south facing wall of blocks internally and mock stone blocks externally.

All the windows have shifted slightly.

We summoned our insurer who said it was only thermal cracking and not our foundations so no claim could be made, and it was up to us to maintain the property by repointing the cracks as they occur to prevent water penetration and frost damage aggravating the situation.

We could not find a builder last year to do the work, but have now found someone we hope but they say that repointing may aggravate not prevent cracking.

From what you say, just repointing cracks is not going to work and we need expansion joints put in - there are not any. Its a semi so with the neighbour the south wall is about 46ft long although next door has no step cracks nor do other houses in the street of same design and build.

Should I have the repointing done?

On 2013-03-16 by (mod) -

Pam:

I need to know more. If the lintel was inadequate and is the failure cause the repair approach would be different than if the problem is due to failure to bond the veneer to the wall or failure to keep water out of the wall. Send me details, photos, etc. and I'll try to comment further.

On 2013-03-16 by (mod) - dangerous mistake to even think about sealing or patching a foundation wall crack

Mariam,

It sounds as if it could be a dangerous mistake to even think about sealing or patching a foundation wall crack in the case you describe - at least do not do so before an expert has

- diagnosed the cause of the movement

- determined if the movement is ongoing or was a single event

- determined the extent of impact of or damage to the rest of the structure from that movement

- determined the extent of repair needed to make the building stable and safe

On 2013-03-15 by Mariam

hi, I need to know how to fix wall of the basement from the outside. The crack or should say separation is not small.

The outside of my home has shifted, causing a major crack an now water gets in there. Plus previous owners cut the drain pipe out an didn't cap it an laid carpet down.

We already pulled the carpet, now there is also water coming UP from the concrete floor....please help I don't have money for contracter. Thank you!!

On 2013-03-16 by (mod) - thermal expansion coefficient of soil?

SSB:

good question, I don't know and will research and report back here.

I suspect that there is not a single simple answer, since the properties of soil vary so enormously. One must consider

- soil moisture content

- soil particle size

- soil particle mix

On 2013-02-05 by ssb

what is the thermal expansion coefficient of soil? (any type)

On 2012-11-02 by Pam brick veneer is cracking badl

Our home's brick veneer is cracking badly due to what an inspector said was failure or inadequate installation of the support at the bottom of the veneer. It is a metal ledge (lintel). Can anything be done to fix this problem, or would the wall need to be taken down and rebuilt with a new support?

One foundation repair contractor suggested pushing up from the bottom of the metal ledge using a process similar to fixing a sinking foundation, I'd like to know if that is a sensible long term solution.

On 2012-10-08 by (mod) - use of our images

Fábio

I'll be to send you higher resolution copies of some of our images - for non-commercial, academic use, and I would welcome any questions or comments you may have - as we both will learn. I took all of these photos, but some of them I took using only a black and white polaroid camera so the originals are not in color.

The color images were taken much later back at the same site, and as I imagine the building management has not done much about this problem except maybe some leak patching, next year when I'm back in the US I can probably re-visit the site if need.

Justness the CONTACT US link at page top or bottom to send usnyour email along withna citation of thisnarticle URL I'll know what it's about.

On 2012-10-07 by Fábio Martins - civil engineer student in Portugal

Hello, im a civil engineer student in Portugal and im currently working in my dissertation called "Facing Brickwork: main problems" (roughly translated). Well, ive been going alot through this site and it has helped me alot, its really complete and enlightening.

But the reason im commenting here is to ask if its possible to someone to send me the picture above of a long wall with vertical cracks (the first one in a grayscale). I really wanted it (in colour though). Thank you very much, keep the great work

On 2012-05-11 by Diana Carlson

Home is for sale and am awaiting a structional engineers report...is this house sellable...on the inside it has been ver5y maintained and beautiful just a little dated as they were in their 80's...

On 2011-11-30 by Thomas Wong - thermal expansion joints required in Australia

In Australia, including a thermal expansion joint in masonry work over 6 metres is a requirement of the Building Codes of Australia - for residential work.

For a commercial project, whoever builds it is not required to complete a builder's course to learn about these requirements.

However in this case, if the builder applied the minimum requirements to install expansion joints, the owner wouldn't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on repairs now.
Prevention is better than cure hey?

On 2011-07-20 by (mod) - Remedies for thermal cracking:

Remedies for thermal cracking:
It depends ...

You can stop thermal cracking from getting worse or prevent its occurrence by cutting in control or expansion joints at appropriate intervals; the expansion joint is sealed with a flexible sealant, perhaps over a backer rod.

If the thermal movement in a masonry wall has damaged it, some additional disassembly and repair could be needed; else it may be sufficient to simply patch or seal the remaining cracks once the expansion joint has been provided.

On 2011-07-20 by Anonymous

what are the remedies

...

Continue reading at BRICK VENEER WALL LOOSE, BULGED or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

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  • BRICK STRUCTURAL WALLS LOOSE, BULGED
  • BRICK VENEER WALL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
  • BRICK VENEER WALL LOOSE, BULGED
  • BRICK VENEER WALL REPAIRS in FLOOD PRONE AREAS
  • BRICK WALL FROST & WATER CRACKS, EFFLORESCENCE, SPALLING
  • BRICK WALL REPAIR METHODS
  • BRICK WALL THERMAL EXPANSION CRACKS
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  • CONCRETE or MASONRY DAMAGE TESTS
  • MASONRY FACADE / WALL, LINTEL & BROWNSTONE DAMAGE
• THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS - coefficient of expansion of common building materials including brick, concrete, mortar, and stone.

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BRICK WALL THERMAL EXPANSION CRACK FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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