Homes can develop all kinds of problems and quirks over the years that you live in them, but there are some that should never be ignored, one of them being the appearance of a crack in your walls. It doesn’t always mean that the house is about to start falling around you, right now, but it’s still worth investigating. Here, we’re going to look at some of the causes of these cracks, as well as what you can do to deal with the problem.
New homes tend to settle
Although you might think that a newer home is a lot less likely to experience problems, the truth is that a crack appearing in the wall of a home that has been built in the last decade should not be majorly surprising. You might have heard of homes settling, and this is often the case in new homes. Gravity causes the building materials to settle into place, or they reach a stable moisture level, often due to the movement of any lumber in the home’s frame. When this dries out and settles into its long-term position, it can cause cracks. Repairing those cracks can be just another one of the hidden costs associated with building a home.
Water is always a concern
The majority of cracks in any home tend to be caused by leaks coming in. This is especially true of any cracks that appear from the tops of your walls, rather than the bottom of them. Water drips in an the moisture content can seep into and affect drywall and paint alike. As they expand due to the moisture, cracks can suddenly start to appear. Aside from checking the pipes in your home, you should be sure to take a look at sources of exterior leaks, such as guttering or roof problems that might be letting in the rain.
You might not have installed that drywall properly
If your walls have only just been put up and you’re already starting to see cracks in the theme, then there’s a high likelihood that whoever put up the drywall hasn’t done the best possible job of it. Whether it was a botched DIY job or a contractor who didn’t take the appropriate level of care, if they have not taped the wall properly, it is likely to crack. The tape around the drywall patches is meant to keep the mud in place until it dries and settles. If the tape is loose, it can cause the mud to shift, which means that cracks will start to appear in the drywall. Sometimes, you can catch it early and tape it back in place, but in other occasions, you may need to reinstall that patch of drywall.
Wider cracks are cause for more concern
One of the most critical aspects of the stability and reliability of the home is your foundation. If you’re seeing cracks that are over a quarter-inch thick or wide, then this could be a sign that there has been some change or damage to the foundation, which is going to require your attention as soon as possible. All manner of different elements can damage the foundation, such as pests, moisture level changes, changes in surrounding soil composition, water leaks, or otherwise, and foundation repair services can help you mend the damage. They can also help you discover what caused the damage in the first place so you can ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
There could be pests at work
It might not be that there’s any issue with the construction of the materials of the home at all, or at least, none that can’t be eradicated with the help of a pest control team. As mentioned, changes in the lumber frame of your home and the support behind the walls can lead to cracks, and there are few who can work through wood quite as quickly as termites can. If you see any discolored spots in your drywall, pinpoint holes, peeling paint, or floorboards that are suddenly creaky, it might not necessarily be termites, but you should make sure to investigate as soon as you can. Termites can damage wooden parts of the foundation of the home as well.
With the information above, you should hopefully have a better idea of what might be causing the cracks in your wall, and know how to deal with it. In most cases, you want a professional to take a look, just to make sure that everything is okay with the house’s bones.
