Crack repairs with monitoring and certification
A cracked house surveyed, repaired and monitored through to sign-off, with the drains investigated and repaired as part of the same appointment.
The project
This Herne Hill house had cracking that needed to be understood, repaired and shown to be stable, with the drains investigated and repaired as part of the same appointment. The brief was to take the owner from first concern through to a signed-off result, rather than a report that stopped at diagnosis. Keeping one engineer involved throughout means the survey, repairs, monitoring and certification all tell a single story.
The cracking ran in a stepped, diagonal line through the rear stock-brick wall beside a Juliet balcony, up under the eaves, with more cracking below a stone sill. Diagonal cracking around openings in London houses can have several causes, from foundation movement to weak points at windows and doors. Leaking drains are a common contributor, softening or washing out the ground, which is why they were investigated alongside the structure.
What we did
- General structural inspection report
- Laser scan survey and schedule of condition
- Schedule of works for the remedial repairs
- Crack monitoring with gauge measurements
- CCTV drain scan and drain remedial works
- Assessment and certification on completion
Surveying, repairing and monitoring a cracked house
We started with a general structural inspection and a laser scan survey, recorded in a schedule of condition, so there was a clear baseline before any work began. Crack monitoring studs were fixed across the cracking, and gauge measurements were taken to show whether the cracks were still moving. That way the repairs could be judged against evidence rather than assumption.
A CCTV drain scan examined the drains, and remedial drain works followed. The schedule of works set out the structural repairs, and once complete, the house was assessed and certified. Our guide on whether cracks in your house are serious explains how engineers judge cracking like this.
Why one appointment worked for this house
- A schedule of condition records the baseline before work
- Crack monitoring shows whether movement is continuing
- Drains are checked because leaks can affect the ground
- Certification on completion gives a clear record for the owner
- One engineer throughout keeps diagnosis and repair consistent
Planning something similar?
When a house is cracking, it pays to investigate the structure and drains together and to monitor before and after repairs. That builds a reliable record for a future sale, a mortgage lender or an insurer. Our crack monitoring baseline report is the first step in that kind of programme.