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Hi There what is the best fix for cracks on my wall near sliding door and over kitchen sink.
Do I strip back plaster and render, then reenforce the mortar with reobar or is there another product to use?
Hi @Lambie1971,
Unfortunately, it would be impossible to know the extent to which you would need to go in order to repair these cracks without removing the render and seeing what lies beneath. Cracks like this on a rendered wall indicate movement of some kind, but it is impossible to really know how much movement you are dealing with without removing it and looking at the bricks.
In saying this, the hairline cracks shown in image 1,3 and 4 don't look too bad, and they are likely just due to slight movements from the impact of the door or window opening and closing. This impact will cause the brick to move slightly in relation to the render.
In the case of the hairline cracks, I'd suggest you simply v groove them with a utility knife, ensuring you wear gloves and long protective clothing to reduce the risk of lacerations, then apply some mesh tape and re render.
The crack in image 2, however, looks a bit more significant, and it would likely require you to remove the render and inspect the underlying brick to see whether a more structural repair needs to be carried out.
If, once the render is removed, the bricks themselves appear sound with no stepped cracking through the mortar joints, you may not need anything as invasive as reo bar. In those cases, repointing any loose or cracked mortar and re-rendering with a quality repair render such as this Dunlop Premix Render Joint And Patch would usually be sufficient. Using a fibreglass reinforcing tape embedded into the new render over the repaired area can also help reduce the chance of the crack reappearing.
If you find there is a more significant structural issue once the render is removed, then it would need to be addressed based on what is happening. Without knowing, it is probably best to have it checked out by a builder who is experienced with both brick construction and rendering.
Allow me to tag @Nailbag and @Dave-1 to see what they think.
Jacob
Good afternoon @Lambie1971
Mmmm The fine cracks that @JacobZ has refered to could be fixed the way he has described. The crack on image 2 does make me pause a bit as well.
Have the cracks always been there or just turned up recently? And have the gotten bigger recently?
Movement and age can definently cause the cracks. If you are concerned you could remove the render around that image 2 pic and see if the crack also goes through to the brick/mortar then a builder to assess would be the next step. If it dosnt then cosmetic repair as @JacobZ has suggested.
Dave
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