cracked brick wall

[shopper]

My house is higher than my neighbours house, and there is a 4ft drop from my side garden path down to theirs.The brick wall that retains my path has large zig zag cracks in it, also some bricks cracked in half, but you can only see it by standing down in neighbours garden.A surveyor has said it is caused by Thermal Movement, and will not affect my house. The builders are repairing it as a gesture of good will. They came last week and pointed the wrong wall.!!!!! I was out at work. The advice I need is whether pointing is the correct solution to cracks or should it be rebuild. On the phone they will only say that they will come and do any work that is necessary.

[Golden Shred]

To give you an answer of any value we really need to see it. Can you take a photograph and post on here? Where the wall is cracked is it bulging at all? Also where it is cracked are both sides of the crack in line, or is one side slightly in front of the other? What is the length of the wall and does it vary in height? Are there any vertical expansion joints in the wall at all (should be about ever 12'0"). Is the crack getting wider, and is it wider at the top than at the bottom?

[shopper]

Hi golden shred- will do my best to give you the correct info. No, the wall isnt bulging. The length of the wall is about 32ft long and is the same 4ft height all the way along. Dont know what an expansion joint looks like, but cant see anything that might be one. My neighbour only told me about the cracks in May this year. Cant see them from my side. but dont think they gone worse. The cracks are wider at the top of the wall than at the bottom. Only about 5ft width of the wall is affected by cracks. Sorry I am unable to post photos. Your question about whether both sides of the crack is in line or slightly in front of the other I dont understand. The cracks start at the top of the wall going sideways along the pointing, but on some bricks it has cracked a full brick in half before carrying on in a zig zag along the pointing till it has reached the bottom of the wall.

[Golden Shred]

Hi. It probably is expansion, so I've based the solution on that. Click this link http://i9.tinypic.com/4fu566c.jpg and you will find a rough sketch. Scroll around it a bit to get the hang of it. Basically you will have to get the builder to cut vertically down the centre of the crack and rebuild some brickwork to form a vertical expansion joint 1/2" wide. The joint must be filled with 1/2" waterproof compressible fibreboard and the front and any other exposed fibreboard face sealed with non-setting mastic. 4 sliding joints are required in the height of the wall constructed of 12" lengths of 3/8" stainless rod, one end built into and fixed in the wall and the other end left to slide as necessary in a plastic tube. That's all there is to it - done properly you will have no more trouble. Ask away if anything is unclear.

[shopper]

thanks golden shred so much for your help. I get the general idea. Hope they turn up when I'm home.