Building defects database - Porch brickwork

Record details

© Copyright Philip Santo	(a) Much of the front brickwork, all of the left side and most of the roof of the small projecting front porch of this 1950s semi-detached house were covered with plant growth but cracking on the upper part of the right side was visible, see (b) and (d) below.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(b) Stepped cracking in the upper part of the porch brickwork caused by rust expansion of the lintel above the central porch doorway, beyond the left edge of the photo, see (d) below. Similar cracking was concealed by the plant on the left side of the porch, but the worst cracking was in the visible area.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(c) The lead-covered flat roof above the porch had been patched and was clearly ageing, but there was no sign of leakage beneath. A comment would not be required for a mortgage valuation, but would have been appropriate in a pre-purchase survey report. There was no indication of the cracking in this area and the condition of the roof had not contributed in any way.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(d) Expansion of the rusting lintel, just visible to the left of the flower-basket bracket, had displaced the entire upper section of brickwork, causing horizontal cracking across the frontage (behind the bracket) and stepped cracking on the porch sides.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(e) Cracking within the porch was less pronounced but corresponded exactly with the external cracking.