Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q I would like your advice re a crack in the front of my house. This crack runs from the first floor window to the top of the front door area. . . diagonally. It is wider at the window . . . about half an inch wide.

The house is about 40 years old. This has been described to us as a settling crack as there was some subsidence under that area and running in a line clearly visible in the front and back garden. It does not appear to have become wider over the past number of years . . . 15 years. Would it be wise to just fill in the crack and do a cosmetic job on the front of the house or does this call for more serious measures?

Mairead Cassidy

I take it from your question that the crack is also showing on the internal wall of your house. The size of the crack and the fact that it is also showing in the front room would be considered a serious fault.

However, as it has not progressed any further or widened in the last 15 years you can be fairly con"dent that the building has settled and you can carry out a repair to the wall. It would be best to use a non-shrink cement adhesive which can be bought from Heiton Buckley builders merchants (visit www. heitonbuckley. ie for details of your nearest branch).

Q I live in a redbrick house with two large bay windows at the front. Since I first moved into the house in 1981 I have had problems with water ingress through the ceilings of the bay windows.

At first I thought the problem was with the roof of the bay windows which were made of moulded bakelite or some such material so I improved the flashing and sealed every possible point where water might get in. It was only when I was replacing the plasterboard in the ceilings of the bay windows with wood that I discovered that the water was actually coming down the inside of the cavity wall. It was obvious that the water was getting in through the red bricks which constitute the outer layer of the cavity wall.

This was further confirmed when I installed a porch with a tiled roof . . . water still came in through the porch roof. Is there any effective treatment that can be applied to the bricks which will repel water? I have tried a couple of treatments like Thompsons but to no avail. The problem only arises twice or three times a year when there is very heavy rain with strong wind on the front of the house. Any advice would be appreciated.

Seamus Reynolds

You are completely correct as to the cause of the water ingress. Bricks are a very porous material and they will soak the water fully which leads to the water running down the inside of the outer wall, ie, in the cavity. I have used a product called Homestar Waterseal. This is an American manufactured product. Try any of the larger builders merchants/ DIY stores in your area. If you do not find it in any of these stores you can purchase it from Chetham Timber Company, Promenade Road, Tolka Quay, Dublin 3, 01-836 3737.

Q Can you advise on how best to hide and protect an old mud wall? I live in Dublin city and have a town garden with an old mud wall that was built around 100 years ago. The materials used are mud, shells, cork and who knows what else. I cannot afford to rebuild it and was thinking of covering it with bamboo lengths from the garden centre. These are tied together with fine wire. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix the bamboo in place on the crumbling fragile wall?

Maria Devine

I would suggest you use large staples, the type used for farm fencing.

Obviously the longer the staple the more grip you will get. Try a couple to see how it works out. If this does not do the trick then buy some 100mm x 8mm frame fixings. These are plastic sleeved fixings with a screw attached.

You need to drill an 8mm hole, put in the fixing and tighten the screw. This will expand the plastic sheath in the hole giving you a secure fixing. Leave approximately 2mm of the screw showing to attach some wire or cord onto. Have you thought of planting a creeping ivy plant or similar? This would grow quickly and would attach itself to the mud wall and after a year or two the ivy will grow and spread out giving a nice appearance to your wall.

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If you have a building-/renovation-related query that you'd like Steve to help you with, email: doorstepdoctor@tribune. ie Steve Guerin is managing director of www. tradesmenireland. com, the one-stop website that will help you find a tradesman, a site for sale, a property to rent or buy and all the plant hire and machinery you need to complete your house build or renovation