calling all brick experts - mortar cracks

[tff]

My new garage's brickwork was done about 1 month ago. Attached are some photos of cracks that I just noticed. There's a long crack above the garage door going diagonally for about 4' or so in the first photo (open up the photo and you'll noticed it). There are a couple other short cracks, as shown here. Obviously I will bring this to my bldr's attention. But would like any advise/info...
-is this unusual? or acceptable even? (my house is all brick and is 30 years old and have never seen any cracks)
-can it be repaired? (mortar removed and replaced)
-would this be due to normal settling (that has stopped) or will it continue even if repaired?
Thanks for any comments. Appreciate it.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

My guess would be that they used a 3 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in lintel instead of a 3.5 x 5 and it’s sagging due to the weight

Plus did they put a wood support in the middle of the angle iron to support it for a few days while the new brickwork dried?


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[p_mori7]

My guess would be that they used a 3 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in lintel instead of a 3.5 x 5 and it’s sagging due to the weight

Plus did they put a wood support in the middle of the angle iron to support it for a few days while the new brickwork dried?

^^^ This. Undersized Lintel, and no waiting for everything to cure properly. Builder will probably offer to "repoint" the mortar. Time will tell if it cracks again.

 

[olytdi]

Absolutely unacceptable. Cracks like that should show up in 50 years after a mild earthquake or two....not on a new build.

 

[lieutenant]

How hot was it when they did the work? I'm thinking the mud dried too fast. Also think the mason was sloppy in a few areas.

 

[SALIV8]

Im no expert but had all my lintels replaced and they flashed the painted lintel with what I think was similar to ice/water shield, and added weep rope/tubes every 14” or so and also added a stainless steel leading edge to direct any water seepage. There may be more steps I dont know about but thats is at least some of what they did.

That lintel doesnt appear properly flashed. It looks like just bare metal with bricks above it.

 

[tff]

Will talk to builder today. Yes it was hot when they did the work - summer in SC. And yes they were also sloppy with the mud and have asked the builder to resolve the slop. Thanks for the comments.

 

[ddurrett896]

Off topic but what is the size and what did it cost to have bricked? Doing he same in a few months.

 

[wrenchguy]

Absolutely unacceptable. Cracks like that should show up in 50 years after a mild earthquake or two....not on a new build.

this! plus not acid washed yet. find out if angle lintel is bolted thru header. sounds like closing problems ahead. get everything in writing.

 

[77Birdman]

My guess would be that they used a 3 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in lintel instead of a 3.5 x 5 and it’s sagging due to the weight

Plus did they put a wood support in the middle of the angle iron to support it for a few days while the new brickwork dried?


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x3. Unless its just the photo, it looks like the crack goes diagonal across the brick as well. This would be indicative of the centre sagging. Has nothing to do with air temp. Im a builder and hate to beat up on my brethren, but if that were mine the whole thing would need replaced.

 

[GMCGarage]

My new garage's brickwork was done about 1 month ago. Attached are some photos of cracks that I just noticed. There's a long crack above the garage door going diagonally for about 4' or so in the first photo (open up the photo and you'll noticed it). There are a couple other short cracks, as shown here. Obviously I will bring this to my bldr's attention. But would like any advise/info...
-is this unusual? or acceptable even? (my house is all brick and is 30 years old and have never seen any cracks)
-can it be repaired? (mortar removed and replaced)
-would this be due to normal settling (that has stopped) or will it continue even if repaired?
Thanks for any comments. Appreciate it.

Shear crack. Lintel deflects, brick cracks. All the mortar joints look like **** too, were they masons doing this, or rent-a-worker?

Tell them you want it redone, and want to see a calculation for the lintel. Then he or she will do it right.

 

[tff]

Off topic but what is the size and what did it cost to have bricked? Doing he same in a few months.

The short answer is 'clearly not enough'. :-(

My garage is 20 X 30. I only had the front bricked. The rest is hardieboard. I think if I had the whole thing done in brick, it would have been about $4k to $5k more. Not sure how much just the front added.

 

[6768rogues]

Am I correct in assuming that the brick is over wood construction?
If so, there should be some kind of system for removing moisture from between the brick and the wooden structure. As someone mentioned above, usually it is with properly installed through wall flashing with weep holes or wicks. Look at page 11 of this: http://www.boralamerica.com/media/default/resources/bricks/brick-install-guide-best-practices.pdf Is there something we can't see from the pictures?
As for the cracks, it could be a little sagging of the header, or a little settling of the structure, or shrinkage of the wood, expansion of the wood from trapped moisture, who knows. If you employed an engineer or architect, it would be good to have them review it and would be worth a professional fee to have them make a short report. If a professional says it was done wrong, you have a basis for demanding that it be properly fixed. If for some reason down the road you are in court over this, having a professional's report will make it more likely to go your way. Most of us here can only testify to facts, a licensed professional can give an opinion as an expert witness. We are all just guessing.
The mortar can be ground out with an angle grinder and diamond wheel, and then new mortar installed. That will probably fix it for the remainder of the builder's warranty period, so I would have a professional check it out. Without knowing why it happened, you have no idea if it will happen again or somewhere else. A professional can diagnose the problem and reassure you that all the proper water drains are provided.
Just curious, did anyone doing the brick work speak English? Around here, yes. At our place in FL, no.

 

[Charlie51]

What could possibly go wrong with a few little mortar cracks? Well, water could enter them and freeze, ever widening the cracks and weakening the wall.

 

[77Birdman]

mortar drying too fast and shrinking isn't too awful a big deal, and cutting and repointing is pretty easy. The crack that goes through the brick on the other hand is something to be concerned about.

 

[tff]

I really appreciate everyone's comments. The builder has stated that he will repair the cracks. I fully realize that the root cause may not get addressed without me hiring an independent party. I personally think that the root cause is that the side walls have expanded/settled some outward at the top of the walls, stretching center portion (to crack) and creating some cracks on one side. (All of the cracks are consistent with something like the, in my non-professional opinion). Side walls are 10', ceiling is as 12.5' and so there is 2.5' of slope on each side that is not laterally supported. I can see these side walls settling outward.
To address some comments/questions... the brick is just a veneer. There's a gap between the brick and plastic wrap around the framed front wall. Even though it looks like it, there are no cracks through the brick itself - just through the mortar.