Verticle crack on exterior bricks of house

[James Chew]

Went to go look at a house we're interested in buying today, one thing that concerned me is on the side of the house there was one long verticle crack through the bricks. There are no signs of leakage on the inside of the home. My inspector said its not a good sign and could get worst over time.

Anyone have experience with this? The home is 20yrs old. Should I be worried?

http://i.imgur.com/e4gzDgq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xolesHi.jpg

[John Kogel]

It looks like the crack was sealed with mortar, then the crack expanded further.
It is definitely a concern. Look for a similar crack on the other side of the house.
It is just a fraction of an inch, so the house is not collapsing, but the crack will not go away by itself either, and there is no simple way to hide it. Worst case, the foundation below ground is unstable..

[Jim Luttrall]

Looks like the house made its own expansion joint in the brick veneer because the mason did not provide one.
IF just an crack from thermal expansion/contraction then is is not a big deal but more information is needed.

[Raymond Wand]

If the crack is a result of thermal expansion it should not have been repaired with mortar but rather a good quality caulk such as polyurethane which is elastic along with a foam backer cord. The crack does not appear to go down into the foundation which indicates its most likely not a foundation issue.

It should be repaired so as to keep rain out which could lead to long term damage as a result of freeze thaw action.

[Claude Lawrenson]

I agree with Raymond's post. Consider the length of the wall, there may be a need for consideration of an expansion joint. Obviously too little, to late!

The other thing I would look for is displacement of the brick on the horizontal plane. That does not appear to be the case.

[Raymond Wand]

Often in my experience I see cracks like this on the walls which get the most sun during the day. Most always, south, and west exposures.