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angelinalojas

hairline cracks in 1925 bungalow

angelinalojas
10 years ago

My husband and I bought a 1925 bungalow this summer. The previous owner is a general contractor and lived in this home for 15 years, fixing it up through the years. He did an amazing job updating the home while keeping it true to its time period, it is definitely our dream home!

During inspection there were very few issues but one that had us worried. There was some drainage problems in the SW corner and a hairline vertical crack in the stone foundation in that same area. It is just inches from where the stone foundation meets the concrete block of the cellar (which had been built over with a mudroom). We had a structural engineer out to look at the foundation. He spent a few hours at the house, inspecting the full basement, inside, and outside the home. He determined that we would need to address the drainage in the area but there was no structural damage and the home would stand another 90 years.

Fastforward 6 months and we are beginning to see more hairline cracks, some in rooms that already had a few, some in rooms where I never noticed any, and some in the basement. I often ask myself, was that there before and I never noticed or is it new? I guess my question is, can new cracks appear in 6 months due to house movement or are these old cracks that are opening up through new(er) paint? Should I be concerned about the soundness of my home?

Sorry for the long post, thanks for any insight!

Comments (5)

  • Rudebekia
    10 years ago

    Are you talking about cracks in plaster walls? They can appear at any time due to moisture, weather, settling, etc. If they are hairline I wouldn't worry about them, just watch them to see whether they grow into something that needs patching eventually. All old homeowners deal with them. Its pretty common for someone selling a home to skim coat walls so they look perfect to the home buyer, but then the inevitable cracks start reappearing. They are just part of the "patina" of old homes.

  • MiMi
    10 years ago

    I grew up in a 1925 bungalow with plaster walls and ceilings. My dad was constantly fixing hairline cracks and some in the same places a few times over the years. I thought I read some where about some patching that has some "stretch" to it, so if it were to re-crack, the patching would have some stretch to it instead of cracking. Don't know where it was or is sold, Home Depot of Lowe's maybe? Might want to check it out.

  • Bruce in Northern Virginia
    10 years ago

    My house has plaster finish walls, and small cracks are something that just happens over time. The plaster is thick and very rigid, so it does not have much give. Its an easy surface to work with for painting and it provides a great sound barrier, but it does develop minor cracks. As long as they are minor, its more aesthetic than functional, so its up to you to decide when to fix them.

    Bruce

  • dmatlosz
    10 years ago

    We live in a 1903 home with plaster walls. We have hairline cracks here and there. It's the price you pay for owning an old home.

    One thing we were thinking abolut doing was wallpaper...

  • KelinMD
    10 years ago

    I would check into the drainage problem. You don't say where you live but if there is water getting into a foundation crack, then freezing, you are bound to see changes in it. But that doesn't mean it's bad. Google "foundation cracks" and you will see some that are extremely worrisome and some that are just there. I think the horizontal ones are the really bad ones. If the engineer looked at it I wouldn't be too worried, but would address the drainage problem asap. As far as the interior ones, I agree, they come up quickly. We live in a 1947 house and I see new cracks all the time. Get your husband to hold a ruler next to the crack while you take a pic so you can look back and compare. One thing that seems to be causing one big crack in my dining room is the placement of the return vent. During a not so great remodel in the 90's they vaulted the ceiling and added new HVAC. The ceiling with the vault keeps cracking along the tape line no matter what we doâ¦a contractor finally told us the vent was in the wrong place. But, since you bought it from a contractor, you are probably in better shape than most. Did you have a home inspection?

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