Surveyor or Structural Eng. for Corbel Stone Issue?

[jet_noise]

Dear All,

I'm looking at a house and there is a crack around a corbel stone and further.
Should I be asking a surveyor or a structural engineer to advise?
Any recommendations as to who to use, please, the house is in Pershore, Worcestershire

The house is a brick built early 50s semi. The stone in question is supporting the roof at a gable end. The crack is along the vertical face join and may approach a cm in width. The crack further follows joins in the brick work roughly diagonally away into the wall and down several courses. It looks to have been repaired before,

regards,
Jet

[Busa mav]

I always seek structural engineers input for such items ,

the surveyor, most likely will just employ an SE for you

[Sam_68]

Do you have a photo?

Corbels are not usually taking big structural loads - they're just there to allow you to overhang the gable brickwork a bit so that it can close off the end of the eaves overhang.

[rsv gone!]

Post a pic up.

From the sound of it, the roof might be spreading.

[jet_noise]

Dear All,

thanks for the responses.

The house is 70 miles away so pic procurement is not possible till the w/e at the earliest.
I didn't have a camera when I went to view - hindsight exactness etc.

The corbel is indeed used to allow the eaves to overhang a bit.

Roof spreading is my concern too, I didn't have a torch either so couldn't see the corner inside. The roof structure is not to the modern standard - only one cross member centrally IIRC rather than the full truss method on all beams used today.
If there was a small crack which had not been mended before then I would be more sanguine but seeing a repair which has subsequently failed has my spidey senses ringing,

regards,
Jet

Edited by jet_noise on Monday 10th October 13:06

[rsv gone!]

If there is no loft room then adding a few timber ties wouldn't break the bank.

But we are jumping ahead of ourselves.

[jet_noise]

Dear rsv gone,

rsv gone! said:

If there is no loft room then adding a few timber ties wouldn't break the bank.

But we are jumping ahead of ourselves.

Yep. Just getting a feel for possibilities. Certainly a negotiating tool when offers are made,

regards,
Jet

[ClaphamGT3]

As a building surveyor, I would say that either would be equally capable of diagnosing the cause of the issue but a structural egineer would be best placed to specify the remedial action.

[jet_noise]

Dear All,

closure on this - seller changed her mind about selling but...
...a better house up the road on which we were outbid has come back on the market. The buyers that offered more pulled out so the estate agent got back to us and at our offer price too.
A similar thing has happened to me before with house purchase and sale - seller/buyer drops out and some time down the road returns and completes,

regards,
Jet