A crack this big could result in the building needing serious work, such as underpinning, to ensure it is stable. If your home has walls that are plastered, then straight vertical cracks typically form when the plaster expands in humidity and shrinks as it dries. Instead of fixing them straight away as more will likely appear you should wait a while before filling the cracks and repainting.
Jagged cracks that move in a diagonal direction or look like a set of stairs moving up your wall could be a sign of structural movement and may be slightly more serious than cracks that simply run up and down. You should look at how long and deep the crack is, and call out a structural engineer who might be able to advise you on the seriousness of the issue. Find out more. Cracks will generally appear in the weakest areas of the wall, such as around a window frame.
This is usually because a window compromises the strength of the wall slightly, causing cracks to appear. These could be another sign of foundation damage or shifting foundations.
A crack that allows daylight to come into your home could be a concern. This is because it means the whole wall has shifted and not just on one side. Usually, a crack will appear on an external wall but cannot be seen inside, and vice versa. However, one large crack that appears to go through the whole house can be a sign of subsidence. Whether your home insurance covers cracked walls generally depends on the cause. In this instance, you could be required to pay an excess fee, and this could be higher than a standard fee and depends on the age of the building.
Cracks caused by your home naturally settling will not be covered. If in doubt, you should contact your insurance provider, however fixing such an issue yourself is relatively easy.
However, small hairline cracks in a plastered wall can be repaired relatively easily. First, you should use a putty knife or scraper to lightly score around the crack. If you notice a visible gap at the top of a sticky door where it meets the door frame and you see light shining through, that might also signal a serious settlement problem, often resulting in jagged, horizontal cracks on nearby walls.
Study the wall area surrounding the crack and look for nail heads or screw heads that might be visible on the surface of the wall. The nail or screw might not have damaged the drywall, but it has likely pulled away from the wooden stud beneath. This phenomenon is often known as "nail pops" or "nail popping" and might be a sign of structural problems. Nail pops are frequently associated with more serious wall cracks and often signal significant drywall shear movement. As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read and graded!
Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials. By Kristine Tucker Updated December 15, You may be wondering about the causes of cracks in your walls.
With a long time at home, homeowners can expect some cracks, especially on doors and windows. But if you notice a lot of cracks or deep cracks, contact a wall crack repair company. If your home was built over the last few years, it is very likely that you will notice some small wall cracks. Because it is new, you can find that the new wood contains a high amount of moisture.
When it dries, it tends to shift slightly. This slight movement can cause small wall cracks in the house. Wall cracks usually start at windows, doorways, or corners of the house.
Wall cracks are a big problem when you find:. First, consult with experts and contact Homefix team to recommend a solution. The best solution to fixing cracks is to re-level your home and re-support it. There are two ways to underpin a home:. This includes drilling parts of the foundation, pouring concrete, waiting for it to be installed, and then lifting the house of the concrete blocks. This means that you will have to vacate parts of your home while people work. Chemicals are used. As it expands to fill in the blanks and soft ground, applying pressure to raise the house back to a stable level.
The process is very specific and carefully controlled using laser technology. This method can be a good choice because:. We find that the majority of cracks are superficial, will not cause any major problems, and can be easily repaired. However, it is important to be aware of the different forms of cracks and their severity, so that you can contact a company to repair those cracks.
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