How to fill enormous crack in brick wall?

[KatieJ]

 

I have some extensive cracking in my federation home. I have the foundations being repaired next week. I have removed the cement the previous owner added in the gaps. Once foundations are shored up, I need to repair this crack both internally and externally. Wall is double brick but I am not 100% sure what is on the internal wall. Seems like both plaster and cement. What are the best products to use? How do I go about this?

[EricL]

Hello @KatieJ

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us and thank you for sharing your question about filling the enormous crack in your brick wall.

It's good to hear that you're getting your wall foundations fixed. Generally, I would suggest using construction grout to fill small gaps. However, your foundation damage has had a domino effect on your housing wall. I suggest engaging the services of a registered builder to assess the condition of your house wall. 

Putting in cement to cover the crack will not be enough to secure the structural safety of your wall. Parts of it have been compromised and anyone leaning on that wall could cause it to fall over. Your builder will be able to identify the weak parts of your wall and those parts that need to be replaced. Some parts of your wall might even need extra reinforcement. 

For your safety and the safety of your loved ones, I recommend getting a registered builder to assess and repair your wall. 

Let me tag our experienced members @TedBear, @tom_builds and @Brad for their recommendations.       

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[KatieJ]

Thanks Eric.
Structurally the wall is ok. The foundation repair happened
today and closed some of the gaps. It’s now a matter of cosmetic repair. What is the best way to replace the render? Do I need to learn to mix gyprock and trowel it on?

[EricL]

Hello @KatieJ

On the condition that the wall has been certified by the foundation specialist as safe, the gaps can be filled with Dunlop 20kg Construction Grout or similar. But to render the outside wall, I suggest using Dunlop 20kg Multipurpose Acrylic Render. These are ready to use out of the bag just add water. Please make sure to read the mixing instructions on the back to avoid adding too much water. 

To fix the plasterboard inside the house, I suggest using Gyprock CSR 530 x 530 x 10mm Mini Plaster Repair Panel in combination with Gyprock CSR 2.25kg Less Mess Multi-Purpose Joint Compound. Cut the repair panels to size to cover the exposed areas and attach them using Builders Edge 50mm x 20m Fibreglass Builders Joint Tape. Cover the area with the Multi-Purpose Joint Compound. Try to keep the plaster low and even so that it will be easier to sand down and flatten.

After sanding it down clean the area with a clean rag in preparation for painting.

Here are some handy step-by-step guides:

• How to render 

• How to fix a hole in the wall

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric