Brick cracking

[dave61348]

Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone can tell from my photo's what I might have going on. The cracks started a couple of years ago and have gotten worse over time. I don't believe the foundation settled and feel it could be an issue maybe with the lintel. Is this something a bricklayer could fix for me? In advance I would like to thank anyone for any suggestions or input.

 

[KULTULZ]

I don't believe it is the lintel(s) as they end right where the canted brickwork begins.

Hopefully a brick mason will offer you advice. It can be repaired...$$$...

That's a shame...

 

[dave61348]

I'm not much on brickwork terms but could you explain what the canted brickwork means? What would cause that? thanks

 

[KULTULZ]

The diagonal brick on the door openings.

Now I am no expert but it seems to me to be bad brick. If the front wall was settling, I would think the mortar joints would fail before the actual brick.

Someone more knowledgeable should be here soon.

EDIT-

The more I look, it seems the center column brickwork may have settled and the pressure of the lintels may have cracked those two bricks. Is there a joint (mortar) failure just above?

 

[dave61348]

There is a stair step crack in the mortar above the center section. Its hard to see from the picture. This all started two years ago after the harsh winter here in Illinois could heaving cause that? I don't see any other signs of heaving or settling.

 

[dave61348]

Hopefully this picture will show the stair step crack better.

 

[dave61348]

Sorry my bad I couldn't make the picture any bigger but anyway it extends upwards to the right from about six inches from the right edge of the opening.

 

[bud16415]

I’m by far not an expert on brick work but looking at the clues you have to think lintel plate as cracks from both directions originate exactly in that area. If something below was moving I would think there would be other damage and signs below. My guess is water infiltration and freezing at the lintel. The process happens over many freeze and thaw cycles and each time a bit more water seeps in and then jacks the crack a bit more. That would also correlate to the super cold winter we also had here the last two winters.

Seen a lot of similar things happen here.

 

[nealtw]

Is this a wood framed building with brick installed as siding? If so, what dammage are you seeing on the inside?

 

[dave61348]

This is wood framed with brick siding that goes only a few rows up above the doors and as far as the inside is concerned I don't see any visible damage on the inside of the garage although the inside is covered with osb. The structure above is just attic space above the garage.

 

[nealtw]

At the bottom of the outside wall we often see a coulpe inches of foundation on the inside because the foundation is 8" and the framed wall is 6" or 4", do you see that between the doors and on the other ends of the doors?

 

[dave61348]

Not on the walls where there is brick. I have a brick ledge on the outside though.

 

[dave61348]

A couple more pictures of what I have.

 

[oldognewtrick]

Is there any damage to the drywall inside?

 

[nealtw]

Is there any damage to the drywall inside?

try to pay attention:rofl: osb on the inside

 

[nealtw]

The wood structure has a header over each door that extends over at least 2 studs on each side of the doors. The lentle is a peice of angle iron that we can see part of just under the brick over each door and the lentle is bolted to the beam up there. You can see that the lintle runs some distance past the angles bricks so those bricks have a cut in the back to slip over the edge of the lintle. So that would be weak area of the brick. Now we do not see weep hole along the bottom of the brick above the door. Water would be trapped there and likely frost got it.

 

[dave61348]

Actually there is about an inch or so of foundation exposed on the inside walls behind the bricked areas. Just got home and looked.

 

[nealtw]

There you go, thanks, see the moisture, weep holes missing along the bottom too.

 

[dave61348]

We had a heavy wind blown rain up against the brick last night and the sill area is quit wet this morning so I do believe my cause was moisture and lack of weep holes. I have a brick contractor coming today to check it out so I will update what he has to say. Thanks again everyone.

 

[nealtw]

Cut a hole in the osb near the floor and inspect the framing, if you have rot there , fixing before the brick work would make sence