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cherryfizz

Walls are Cracking!

Cherryfizz
21 years ago

I don't know if the cold weather is causing it but the plaster walls in my house are cracking and the sounds of it cracking are even scaring my cats.

I had a new roof and eavestroughs put on last year. The walls in my living room have been replastered and it is where the new plaster repairs are that the walls are cracking. Mostly on the outside walls and one major crack on an inisde wall just aboe the hallway entrance.

Could it be my foundation. I went down the basement and it seems that there is a major crack running lengthwise between the concrete blocks on the backside wall.

Before my roof was replaced last year and the walls were replastered I did have some water damage on the walls. Could the cracking be from moisture that may still be in the walls?

I finally get a nicely painted living room free of wall damage and then this happens.

Thank you for any answers you may have about the cause of this.

Anne

Comments (6)

  • fredwolf
    21 years ago

    You should probably call a structural engineer to come and inspect the house as soon as possible.

  • prettyphysicslady
    21 years ago

    I agree, I would get someone in there to see what is going on.

    We had a new house previous to this one. We also got several plaster cracks the first year as the home settled.

    None of the cracking was loud enough to hear. I am troubled about the noise.

  • jasonoski
    21 years ago

    If it is a horizontal crack in the basement then you should contact a structural engineer. It could be water pressure from the outside, water freezing in the soul outside or a huge tree root pushing on teh foundaiton wall.

    Call foundation repair company for a free estimate or a structural engineer (not free), this is serious.

    Good luck, Jason

  • GfromKC
    21 years ago

    What kind of roof did you install? We have had a number of problems with cracking, due to previous owners installing concrete tile roof, which was significantly heavier than the cedar shakes it replaced. Bracing was done to account for added weight, but still seeing problems.

  • Cherryfizz
    Original Author
    21 years ago

    Thanks for all of your replies.

    My brother seems to think the foundation crack has been there a long time, but I just noticed it maybe because I was looking for a reason as to why the walls were cracking. I know it will eventually have to be looked after. We had the foundation repaired in the mid 1980's and I can't remember if the foundation crack was there before it was fixed.

    I have been asking around about the cracks and I was told it could be the plaster may not have cured enough before it was painted. After my mom died in August my friend/neighbour who owns a painting and decorating company came in and repaired my walls as a gift. I hate to tell him what has happened to his beautiful work.

    Our new roof is 25 year asphalt shingles, the same type that was on the roof before. The original water damage done to the walls was due to improper installation of the eavestroughs, also done in the mid 1980's. The water from the roof drained behind them not into them. A few years ago we also had some bad ice damming on the roof.

    Anne

  • bulldinkie
    21 years ago

    Maybe its too much weight on roof .Cement does crack ,people have this illusion of concrete so solid it will never break . It does.Its the big deep cracks you need to solve but the small hairlines are normal,in plaster & concrete if it seems excesssive then you need to call someone.