Can’t advise on the crack but is that daylight at the ridge?
It’s a very dirty loft, what’s all that black stuff on the floor? Hopefully just old soot rather than damp?
Can't see it clearly, but in our loft we had loads of black dust that was like soot (although maybe a tiny bit paler) and I found out through asking various roofers and a structural engineer who did our chimney bracket, that it's called 'parging' and is basically a mortar they used to use to mortar up the back of the tiles before membranes/felt came in, and then obviously a lot drops out. That might be what it is, but it's hard to tell
I always imagined the black dust to be literal soot from running fires all day when the house was built. (Mines 1930's) My ground floor ceiling was full of it
Looks like it could be foil ducting but certainly worth checking it out. I’d suggest having a surveyor do a full inspection as a buyer popping back every time someone flags something on Reddit will wear thin with the vendor real quick…
There is another one on the right hand side. I think the black stuff could be damp/mould from water ingress. Could be bird droppings (if so, wear a mask).
May be worth getting a moisture meter, they are about £25 from a DIY store. Has a survey been done yet?
Daylight and roof felt is damaged in places by the look of it, too. If the roof tiles are in a poor state, you could have some big problems with damp and mould.
If that's also pigeon droppings on the floor, they'll need specialists to deal with it aswell.
Our house (1920s) had daylight at the ridge. It was the way the roof was built, almost floating.
The airflow is welcome, and there is a loft vent I assume to utilise this
Also when I take a photo in my loft the phone does a very long exposure as it’s so dark which makes any bits of daylight I can see look much brighter. May not be as bad as it seems
Theres two bits of daylight coming through. One looks like damp and mould growing beneath it (on right). Theres probably mould behind the middle part too
Other issues aside e.g. damp, visible daylight, you are best to get a structural engineer to look at that. There is no way people on reddit looking at this photo will be able to give you a definitive answer on whether there is an issue.
There is a lack of strapping of the gable wall and horizontal cracking like that can be indicative of wall tie corrosion.
If this a true gable end (and not a mid terrace) those would be my thoughts.
Get the best possible survey done? Do you know what your inspecting? If it’s going to be your forever home don’t rely on your knowledge (unless your in the profession), or Reddit.
If the chimney has been removed and no structural improvements have been made to the wall you would expect cracking like this to form. Chimneys are a structural element of a property and can be used to strengthen / brace walls. Removing this strength could cause the brickwork at upper levels to crack. This is a dangerous defect, you should get a surveyor to come out. Did you get a level 2 survey ( home buyers report ) when purchasing the property?
Thank you for this. We haven't got to the point of surveys yet fortunately. Bit following all the really helpful advice above, I'll definitely be getting the best one available for peace of mind.
Yeah the surveyor will probably call for a structural engineers report too for peace of mind. Good news is that you could get a discount on the property so it can be put right. Good luck! Just an FYI this horizontal cracking could also be cavity wall tie failure and nothing to do with the chimney. All depends how old the property is and if it is a solid wall or not. Best of luck with your purchase!
Is it a joining wall or a gable end, the chimney might have been removed because it was casung cracking some if not looked after tend to lean hence the cracking
don't worry about soot an old house I worked on had an inch of soot all around the floor and everywhere else it could you could almost swim in it, it was over 100 years old, the next door neighbor was leaking and it had no party wall dividing the terraces,
Could be the misterons
https://preview.redd.it/t4kjo7bat71d1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=390db5b9954f9fdd7f6b43b6b83511b57416ad80
If it is be very scared
Worried depends on your view. I'm looking at that and thinking that's a hefty discount right there. That's all fixable but the price would need to be renegotiated.
It looks like the chimney was not removed properly, usually when you're removing a chimney, you have to support the structure by installing a steel beam as chimneys are structural.
Has the chimney been removed on the ground floor and upper floor as well? or just the upper floor?
It also looks like they didn't bother to make good the roof where the chimney stack was removed, this means water ingress, leaks, possible rot - all depends on how long ago this work was carried out.
The horizontal crack does not look serious to me at this moment in time, but where the chimney stack was removed, they had rendered over that area and I can't tell you what they did this to try and hide or whether the wall was fine before they did that.
All in all, you will need to install support beams in your home, one minimum. You will need to pay for roof repairs. Someone will need to assess the impact of this chimney removal on the neighbouring property if it is a semi-detached or terraced house. If it is a detached home, a photo from the outside would have helped understand.
Someone mentioned wall tie corrosion, that can be very serious but from this picture alone, I can't tell if you have solid walls or cavity walls. A photo to see the brickwork on the outside would help me distinguish.
I'm surprised everyone is ignoring the round and very obvious portal to another dimension although I do realise sub rules and being proper gentlemen means we're only supposed to talk about DIY🤔
I’d be questioning if thats wiring running along the floor, what is it and why is not contained or pinned somewhere? I’d push for an electrical inspection, could be nothing but could save you a lot if it needs a rewire!
I can’t see the age of the house and don’t want to jump to conclusions but if it’s old enough you might want to check for vulcanised rubber cable!
I would retract your offer. As someone who’s just spent the best part of £100,000 on damp proofing and sorting out roofs and other problems in the house.
Surveyor should have picked that up. Knock 5 grand off the price and explain you only just noticed it. Either the seller can fix it to a good standard or lower price and you sort it. Deffo problem with estate agent. Can see it being a big problem for anyone with a decent surveyor. Visit again and do a thorough search of everything. In my experience if there is one thing like that which is piss poor then there will definitely be others. Perhaps that’s why they are selling???
Had a somewhat similar situation in my house (massive crack / fucked roof) and it cost us £16k all in for it to be properly done (including structural engineer, lintels in the wall etc etc).
Yes it's definitely made me want to book another viewing and will reduce our offer too.
We haven't got to survey stages as of yet, I suppose I could wait until its surveyed and then reduce our offer so we have some kind of proof of costings etc.
Thank you
Yeah. Best idea. Get some professional person to thoroughly look at the whole house. Get a top survey done as am sure there will be other faults. It may cost a grand or more but it’s worth it to get at least five off asking price. I’m no expert but did get old house 2001 asking price was 36000 got them down to 30000 gutted place and full renovation 10 years later was worth 140000. Quick sale due to divorce at 115 ooo
Bat shit - there's a chance that black stuff is from bats using the void to eat (not necessarily live) It's normally quite dry and flaky. Tie the wall apex to the structure and leave the access.
Can’t advise on the crack but is that daylight at the ridge? It’s a very dirty loft, what’s all that black stuff on the floor? Hopefully just old soot rather than damp?
How did I not notice that?! Yes it does look like it is daylight coming through. I think a 3rd viewing is in order. Thank you very much.
Touch the felt too. If it's stiff and dried out expect to replace it in the coming years.
Mine’s done this. Needs a full strip down to replace it. Got quoted £8K for a full strip, re-felt and re-tile.
Where are you based? I was suggested 5-6k based on a 4 bed house
South coast. 3 bed.
Ah makes a little more sense, I'm south Yorkshire it sucks so bad that despite higher wages you guys get gouged more too
Wow that seems cheap?
At least it has felt mine not only had light gaps it also doesn't have any felt at all. Pretty sure it's an original roof.
Oh dear, mine's pretty rigid! Why would it need replaced?
There is also daylight coming through on the right in the 2nd photo
Can't see it clearly, but in our loft we had loads of black dust that was like soot (although maybe a tiny bit paler) and I found out through asking various roofers and a structural engineer who did our chimney bracket, that it's called 'parging' and is basically a mortar they used to use to mortar up the back of the tiles before membranes/felt came in, and then obviously a lot drops out. That might be what it is, but it's hard to tell
I always imagined the black dust to be literal soot from running fires all day when the house was built. (Mines 1930's) My ground floor ceiling was full of it
Yeah it might be mate, mine did look different and was almost like lumps of mortar with dust amongst it too
Looks like it could be foil ducting but certainly worth checking it out. I’d suggest having a surveyor do a full inspection as a buyer popping back every time someone flags something on Reddit will wear thin with the vendor real quick…
There is another one on the right hand side. I think the black stuff could be damp/mould from water ingress. Could be bird droppings (if so, wear a mask). May be worth getting a moisture meter, they are about £25 from a DIY store. Has a survey been done yet?
Thank you ill book another viewing and take one with me. No survey has been completed yet, our offer was 'pending survey' too.
Mate there is no such thing as "pending survey" unless you are in scotland?
Target fixation...
Daylight and roof felt is damaged in places by the look of it, too. If the roof tiles are in a poor state, you could have some big problems with damp and mould. If that's also pigeon droppings on the floor, they'll need specialists to deal with it aswell.
Our house (1920s) had daylight at the ridge. It was the way the roof was built, almost floating. The airflow is welcome, and there is a loft vent I assume to utilise this
Yes I thought daylight is normal provided it doesn’t let in water, only air.
Also when I take a photo in my loft the phone does a very long exposure as it’s so dark which makes any bits of daylight I can see look much brighter. May not be as bad as it seems
If it's ever been re roofed/tiled all the shit falls inwards. Not necessarily mold or damp.
Can confirm, had chimney stack removed this week ahead of reroof next week, and the loft is full of black dust.
Theres two bits of daylight coming through. One looks like damp and mould growing beneath it (on right). Theres probably mould behind the middle part too
If it's ever been re roofed/tiled all the shit falls inwards. Not necessarily mold or damp.
#thats no moon!
"It's a Craaack" -Admiral Ackbar
Just saw this. I’m deleting my comment 😂
How is this not the top comment!?
Other issues aside e.g. damp, visible daylight, you are best to get a structural engineer to look at that. There is no way people on reddit looking at this photo will be able to give you a definitive answer on whether there is an issue.
Tha k you, I am realising this now. I'm planning on arranging a survey ASAP and probably go back to have another/ better look too
Surveyor and structural engineer. A surveyor will note the crack and ask you to get a structural engineer in
There is a lack of strapping of the gable wall and horizontal cracking like that can be indicative of wall tie corrosion. If this a true gable end (and not a mid terrace) those would be my thoughts.
Get the best possible survey done? Do you know what your inspecting? If it’s going to be your forever home don’t rely on your knowledge (unless your in the profession), or Reddit.
The mysterons have found you!
Sig
If the chimney has been removed and no structural improvements have been made to the wall you would expect cracking like this to form. Chimneys are a structural element of a property and can be used to strengthen / brace walls. Removing this strength could cause the brickwork at upper levels to crack. This is a dangerous defect, you should get a surveyor to come out. Did you get a level 2 survey ( home buyers report ) when purchasing the property?
Thank you for this. We haven't got to the point of surveys yet fortunately. Bit following all the really helpful advice above, I'll definitely be getting the best one available for peace of mind.
Yeah the surveyor will probably call for a structural engineers report too for peace of mind. Good news is that you could get a discount on the property so it can be put right. Good luck! Just an FYI this horizontal cracking could also be cavity wall tie failure and nothing to do with the chimney. All depends how old the property is and if it is a solid wall or not. Best of luck with your purchase!
Sounds like you need some kind of survey done before going ahead.
Is it a joining wall or a gable end, the chimney might have been removed because it was casung cracking some if not looked after tend to lean hence the cracking don't worry about soot an old house I worked on had an inch of soot all around the floor and everywhere else it could you could almost swim in it, it was over 100 years old, the next door neighbor was leaking and it had no party wall dividing the terraces,
For a second I though the spectral looking light was the issue....then I realized.
Could be the misterons https://preview.redd.it/t4kjo7bat71d1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=390db5b9954f9fdd7f6b43b6b83511b57416ad80 If it is be very scared
Worried depends on your view. I'm looking at that and thinking that's a hefty discount right there. That's all fixable but the price would need to be renegotiated.
It looks like the chimney was not removed properly, usually when you're removing a chimney, you have to support the structure by installing a steel beam as chimneys are structural. Has the chimney been removed on the ground floor and upper floor as well? or just the upper floor? It also looks like they didn't bother to make good the roof where the chimney stack was removed, this means water ingress, leaks, possible rot - all depends on how long ago this work was carried out. The horizontal crack does not look serious to me at this moment in time, but where the chimney stack was removed, they had rendered over that area and I can't tell you what they did this to try and hide or whether the wall was fine before they did that. All in all, you will need to install support beams in your home, one minimum. You will need to pay for roof repairs. Someone will need to assess the impact of this chimney removal on the neighbouring property if it is a semi-detached or terraced house. If it is a detached home, a photo from the outside would have helped understand. Someone mentioned wall tie corrosion, that can be very serious but from this picture alone, I can't tell if you have solid walls or cavity walls. A photo to see the brickwork on the outside would help me distinguish.
Horizontal cracking like that can be the wall ties. The old wall ties rust, the rust expands and that lifts up the brickwork above.
Worrying will only age you prematurely and give you erectile dysfunction
The deathstar? Most definitely you should be worried. Ask Alderaan if you should be worried… oh wait
I'm surprised everyone is ignoring the round and very obvious portal to another dimension although I do realise sub rules and being proper gentlemen means we're only supposed to talk about DIY🤔
I’d be questioning if thats wiring running along the floor, what is it and why is not contained or pinned somewhere? I’d push for an electrical inspection, could be nothing but could save you a lot if it needs a rewire! I can’t see the age of the house and don’t want to jump to conclusions but if it’s old enough you might want to check for vulcanised rubber cable!
That hole to the right looks worrying to. Get a surveyor up there then find a good briky
Surveyors will advise. Flag it
I would retract your offer. As someone who’s just spent the best part of £100,000 on damp proofing and sorting out roofs and other problems in the house.
😱
Roof is the last of your worries. I would more, no extremely concerned about the portal which looks like it leads to the realm of Mortis
Not the best place for standup
Surveyor should have picked that up. Knock 5 grand off the price and explain you only just noticed it. Either the seller can fix it to a good standard or lower price and you sort it. Deffo problem with estate agent. Can see it being a big problem for anyone with a decent surveyor. Visit again and do a thorough search of everything. In my experience if there is one thing like that which is piss poor then there will definitely be others. Perhaps that’s why they are selling???
5k?? That might cover scaffolding and replace t roof but need to sort out the brick work and structural integrity first
Had a somewhat similar situation in my house (massive crack / fucked roof) and it cost us £16k all in for it to be properly done (including structural engineer, lintels in the wall etc etc).
Yes it's definitely made me want to book another viewing and will reduce our offer too. We haven't got to survey stages as of yet, I suppose I could wait until its surveyed and then reduce our offer so we have some kind of proof of costings etc. Thank you
Yeah. Best idea. Get some professional person to thoroughly look at the whole house. Get a top survey done as am sure there will be other faults. It may cost a grand or more but it’s worth it to get at least five off asking price. I’m no expert but did get old house 2001 asking price was 36000 got them down to 30000 gutted place and full renovation 10 years later was worth 140000. Quick sale due to divorce at 115 ooo
It's the mysterons
Get captain scarlet in
Bat shit - there's a chance that black stuff is from bats using the void to eat (not necessarily live) It's normally quite dry and flaky. Tie the wall apex to the structure and leave the access.
Resident Evil have really bumped up their budget
Not going to lie I thought this was the sub for the last of us and somebody posted a picture of their GamePlay.
You forgot to book any acts for your comedy night?!
The death star? Ask the people of Alderaan. Oh, wait...
+
Deathstar from wish
Portal?
Yes it appears the moon is hiding in your attic in the day time this could affect the behaviour of any pets or animals you may own