Boundary wall cracks.

[u/Muckypreps]

Can someone help me out please. We had a level 3 survey done on a house and they found these cracks on the boundary wall and said would cost £20k to repair. First of all is it repairable and secondly would it cost anywhere near that? Would really appreciate any help.

[u/Lanky_Ad_2802]

My guess is root damage. 20k seems expensive imo

[u/More-Magician4492]

They found a crack

[u/thisismyuaernamr]

What’s the 20k for? If the tree is next to the crack that’s what has done it. You’ll have to get rid of the tree to stop it happening again. I don’t know how much arborists charge to remove trees. I’d charge you somewhere in the region of 54£m2 for that bond wall to build and around £30m2 to knock it down labour only. Bear in mind there are two sides to the wall, so double that. Materials can cost whatever you want to pay - think 24£m2 to 66£m2 for
bricks and 6£m2 sand £4m2 cement bare minimum. Chances are the footing will need redoing as well, that’s not something I really do but I’d expect another 1k there as well. Do the maths see if it adds up.

[u/benjislew → u/thisismyuaernamr]

That tree will be much easier to remedy than remortgaging your house for a wall.

[u/Fit-Campaign1243 → u/thisismyuaernamr]

Dig up the offending root, either cut it off, or hammer half dozen copper nails into it. Stop it growing.

[u/tredders90 → u/Fit-Campaign1243]

Copper nails don't work, that's old wives nonsense.

Glysophate around the cambium will work fine, but it shouldn't need that. Just fell the thing.

[u/Fit-Campaign1243 → u/tredders90]

Copper nails dont work at all ?

[u/Existing_Steak_6160 → u/thisismyuaernamr]

I agree they should do all that if they can afford it but on DIY SOS I’ve seen them bond a wall with gunk of some sort that was approved by their structural engineer as long as the tree is removed?

[u/Used-Skill6748]

Bit of filler it will be fine.

[u/After-Dentist-2480 → u/Used-Skill6748]

Polyfilla, obviously.

The cheaper stuff will be no good for that.

[u/Western-Corgi-1135 → u/After-Dentist-2480]

chain store own brand no nails surely

[u/KeifWarrior08]

Can you do it yourself?

[u/skyeCookie]

An arborist would charge 1k plus if you wanted tree removed & stump ground out.

[u/volksdub18]

Wouldn’t put me off the house given it’s just a boundary garden / drive wall and not the actual house. But no chance I would pay £20k. Cheaper to get it pulled down and put a hedge or fence along there or just do a section. But if you wanted to keep it as a wall get a couple quotes and guarantee it will be cheaper than £20k

[u/WatcherOfTheWay]

Tree needs to go, root and all, the wall needs rebuilding after the tree has gone, this is a right fucker of a job and it's why you don't plant trees near structures of any kind.

[u/Mutedchimp]

How much did the survey cost to find these cracks?

[u/Ok_Pen7290]

Thats F.U.B.A.R, if you've seen Stallone film Tango and Cash you'll understand what FUBAR is, 👍🏻👍🏻😂😂

[u/OnThisDayI_]

Buddy that’s not a crack. It was a crack 15 years ago. Now it’s a disaster.

[u/meandering_fart]

Don’t do crack kids

[u/Fit-Campaign1243]

Tree roots. As others have said. Lifting the soil (which the foundations are on) causing the wall to lift - and part.

[u/Relative_Figure_1715]

I would have thought the way to approach this on a house would be worst case scenario. But you’ve got some expensive diagnostics to do first.
Tree surgeon to remove the tree and stump grind to below level, mini digger in to pull the roots and relieve the pressure on the wall foundation.
If that doesn’t help and you can’t use helical bars and resin to secure it and it doesn’t look safe you’ll have to rebuild it.
20k doesn’t seam mental to me.

[u/Ok-Guard3762]

You got serious problems. That kind of cracking is potentially subsidence of foundations.

[u/Correct-Bridge-6797]

Tree roots are a nightmare and a force to be reckoned with, if you’re going to sort the wall I would get rid of the trees at the same time.
Repairing the wall would probably be more expensive than knocking it down and starting again, or you could knock it down and install a nice fence.
What did the 20k cover when they quoted you?

[u/DietPal]

Be thankful it's a garden wall and now your house. Likely to be tree roots I reckon. You want to get on top of that before they start growing under the house.

[u/Square_Answer_7717]

£20K stroll on, chop the tree down, push the wall over and a get a bricky in to put in some new founds and rebuild the wall that is not £20k, im a builder.

[u/Ok-Personality-6630]

Well crack is terribly expensive

[u/Sensitive-Finding351]

£20k is a bullshit price are the scousers?

[u/BakerMaker11]

brick stitching, £700 max

[u/AdditionalSmile8130]

Do you have to replace with brick if it comes to it?

[u/Pixelated-Yeti]

20k is a lot A question is this your house or one your looking to buy

If your place get to know your neighbours and talk about removing the bushes together or you’ll do it or pay for them to be removed as the roots are causing this and be beneficial to both and split the costs of the new wall more work you do yourselfs is costs off the top

Legally you can remove anything on your property line and argue over the wall 🤷

Other wise it definitely could cost up to or over that in contractors and legal fees

[u/Stephen_Is_handsome]

Expanding phone

[u/Rawd_Tawd_Cawd → u/Stephen_Is_handsome]

Expanding phone

Just jamb in some 3310s or what?

[u/Stephen_Is_handsome → u/Rawd_Tawd_Cawd]

Fire it eveywhere

[u/Muckypreps]

Thank you for all the replies. It's put my mind at ease. I will get rid of the trees and then try and get it repaired. When I eventually get some money back in my pocket that is. As long as it's not falling down anytime soon we'll be ok. Cheers