| By Greg Vanden Berge
In most newer homes you will not see these cracks but if you do there
could be bigger problems than you think but in older homes you will
definitely see more than one plaster or drywall crack in the walls or
ceilings. Were do these cracks come from and what are they doing in my
house?
Most of these cracks are from movement in your home
caused by contraction and expansion. What happens is during the day
when it is warm the walls on the exterior of your house seemed to expand
a little bit and as the temperature cools off the walls will start to
contract or shrink a little bit. Kind of going back to their original
state.
Another cause for cracks in your walls will be from
seismic activity or the earth actually moving a little bit. Now there
are going to be some cases were the earth moves a lot and the cracks
will actually become larger over time. The more seismic movement the
more cracks in your house. If there is earthquake activity in your area,
plan on having a few cracks in your home from them.
You can also have cracks in your walls and ceilings
from structural problems. A good example of this would be undersized
floor joist, roof rafters or even a structural beam. Excessive weight
on these building components such as a structural floor beam will cause
flexing or sagging eventually leading to wall and ceiling plaster and
drywall cracks.
Plaster and drywall cracks can also be caused from
insufficient structural engineering. These cracks will become more
noticeable over time. If you have a crack that continues to get larger
over time you might want to contact a building contractor or a
structural engineer.
If you have a small hairline crack in the walls or
ceilings and it seems to stay that size for years this is probably not
going to be a big concern. Cracks on the exterior walls let water and
moisture in causing damage to the framing components in your house. You
can help prevent this damage by filling the cracks and with caulking.
Simply put, pay attention to all cracks in your
home. The larger the crack the more damage that is being done and will
be done to your home.
All cracks can be filled with caulking simply for
cosmetic reasons.
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