Cracked brickwork

I’m seeking opinions about our brickwork which has some stepped cracking, and one brick which is cracked in half.







Background info... Occupancy Permit was issued in April 2018. Our soil is highly reactive clay and this section of the house was built on fill and piers.

I have mentioned this to our builder and he said that it’s “general movement”, but I got the feeling that he had a very high opinion of himself so thought I’d throw it out to H1 community to gather other people’s thoughts.

I'm firstly curious if there is anything noticeable also on the internal walls or ceiling (cornice etc) in that area? I would assume if there was a bit of movement in the slab there it wouldn't just impact the brick rebate section only? I'm no expert by any stretch, but let us all know if it appears to only be the brickwork that is slightly cracked.

Also where is your nearest expansion joint in the bricks from that area?

Thanks darb. The nearest articulation joint is on the other end of that window (it’s a minor bedroom). No plaster or cornice cracks and the window appears to function ok.

I’m prone to being a worry wart and after our build experience I have little trust in anything that our builder says, so just hoping to bounce it off other people.

That's good news. I am only going off our own experience with previous houses, and we had a corner section crack in the bricks a bit. It didnt spread any further and inside we had no visible issues. Maybe it's just some basic settling or movement in the mortar bed of the bricks.

My thinking would be if the slab was cracking substantially in that zone, it would also be impacting the internal walls and/or ceiling & cornice etc.

Something to keep an eye on for sure, and take photos every now and use something to get a gauge on the crack width if possible. Then you can monitor and compare.

oh one more thing, before we head into the wetter months now is great opportunity to assess how your landscaping and paths are helping to protect your slab. This forum has some great info on things like keeping water away from getting in and under your concrete slab. eg paths that grade away from the house, no garden beds (& watering) adjacent to the building etc.

Thanks my feeling too - monitor. We take photos every now and then, probably should get a ruler in the photos too.

All sorted with the paths and drainage - spent a small fortune on that before we moved in.

Hi
I have cracked bricks in our 5 mo house. Have posted a photo in another post. Just wondering if it is something covered under warranty.