Expert: Bill-C - 10/20/2011

Question
Hi This might be a long shot but the house we have bought has had a two storey extension that is the thickness of an outside wall (Ie bricks and breeze block) recently I noticed that the upstars bedroom and ensuite have cracks in the wall near the cornersbetween the old outside wall and where the extension joins the house. I mentioned this to a friend who said it was due to movement and that the only way I could get rid of it was to remove the bricks and plaster the walls. So
1. Is this right
2. Can I do this myself or is it a professional job
3. If I can is there any usefull sites that you could point me to as the new roof does not cover the whole of the wall that it joins to so how do you support the external bricks that you can currently see from the outside of the house?
4. If it is a pro job can you give me an idea of the ball park cost

Answer
Andrew,

Your description is vaque and I would need more information and photos ( bill136@btinernet.com)

If its the joint between new and exisitng you are likely to get differential movement , shrinkage and settlement.
If the cracks are vertical this would be less concerning than zig zag cracking.
If the walls are of a structural nature then you would need an assessment carried out and planning prior to removal and remedial repair work.
Without a complete specific desription youll agree I cannot diagnose your problem.
If you get some pics and give a better description I will reply

regards