What do cracks in the wall over door jambs or on walls mean?
Linda from PA
The house could be settling if it is an older home. It could have been shoddy construction if it is a newer home. You don't say where you live. If the climate is really dry like the desert, the wood could be shrinking. If you live in an earthquake area it could have quake damage. If the damage is only above the doors I'd be inclined to think it was bad construction to begin with. You should check your foundation and around the windows and under the eaves of the house.
By Carla
I would get ahold of a good, honest contractor and have him/her check out your house. Don't try to guess at this. It could be something small, but on the other hand, it could be something big and dangerous. My house (northern WI) is way over 100 years old and I haven't seen the cracks like you have. I still have a very small amount of settling, but that's normal around here. I wish you the best of luck! (09/19/2006)
The dry year probably is the culprit here in Oklahoma. If you heard "pops" and such, late in the evening, it's the house cooling off and settling. I learned to water the yard around the house when it's really dry. In fact, I have a in ground sprinkler system on a timer for the front and the "pops" came from the back of the house. Hello! Watering the back stopped the "pops".
Oh, my older house, the noise was from drywall nails popping out of the ceiling joists. That house had a bad leak in the bathroom and kitchen, hidden for way too long. So it can be lots of reasons.
Good luck. (09/22/2006)
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