Cracking in exterior brickwork is never good. Discover how some brickwork can be a structural element and some brickwork can be simply decorative. Either way, when cracks appear in brickwork it is expensive to fix and in most cases rectification involves removing the brickwork and re building it. The pictured brickwork had cracked so badly that it had completely dislodged from its original plane and had been painted over to look like a feature in order for the house to be sold.

Movement in brickwork occurs for many different reasons, including variations in climate or temperature, movement in the frame and movement in the foundations. It is important to diagnose the severity of brick work cracking prior to purchasing and to also assess whether the defect is considered structural or non-structural.

Be wary of the desperate vendor who attempts to turn a severe brick crack into a feature of the exterior. Always have a pre-purchase building and pest inspection. Melbourne House Check conduct house and pest inspections Melbourne wide. To learn more about concealed defects in houses for sale, download our House Defects Exposed Booklet here.