Page 1 of 1
House settling and walls cracking HELP!
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:50 pm
by BEKM
Can anyone help me out? For the last couple of years our house has been settling and in several places along the marriage seam and on end of the house several cracks have appeared. In one spot a crack on the ceiling from the outer wall to the marriage seam has shown up. Last year we had a guy come and re level the home and only a very few more cracks have come up. Where do I go for info on fixing the crack/sheet rock/ceiling? Thanks for the help and this wonderful site to ask these questions!
Brian
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:31 am
by Jim from Canada
Do you have the home on footers that extend below the frost line?
RE: House settling and walls cracking HELP!
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:07 am
by BEKM
Our house sits on a cement slab with the cinder block around the edges. I had one guy say that it should be 30-36 inches deep but I we only have 3 blocks high so I don't think that is the full depth needed. I am in the process of raising the dirt level on the outside and placing a rain gutter to divert water away from the home on the side that has the most cracks. I also have a deck off the back of the home that was nailed right onto the fascia for support so I want to install a few more vertical support posts to support more of the weight that the fascia is holding.
I hope that answered your question.
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:13 pm
by Greg
Is the slab also cracking? the deck being attached may also be part of the problem. When the ground freezes & thaws the ground will shift slightly. The deck and home will shift at different rates and many times in different directions.
If possible you may want to seperate the deck so it is free standing, or possibly below the frost line footers. Greg
RE: House settling and walls cracking HELP!
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:40 pm
by BEKM
Thanks Greg for the reply. The slab is cracking quite a bit. Last time I checked (last November) the cracks were long and wide. Does it help to pour sand down into the cracks or will that hurt also? I have been told this is a good thing to do with cracked cement.
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:08 pm
by Greg
The cracking could be a result of the ground heaving from the frost, a slab that was made too thin or improperly poured or just plain too much weight on it.
Filling the cracks will not help as far as structrual support goes. If you want to keep water out of it to reduce the freeze damage, you could check the hardware / home centers for crack fillers. Greg