Foundation issue or settling?

[bjtheman1]

How do you know the difference? My house was built in 2006, and I'm seeing many cracks in the drywall.

[mstng86]

I was alway told the cracks around corners were normal settling. That crack around the window would trouble me.

[bjtheman1]

I have some cracks in the middle of the ceiling too?

[Couver]

Would the crack around the window be from the aluminum wrap around strip that is used on edges? How long does a house here take to "settle" anyways?

[Blackpony]

I would lean more towards the drywall puddy shrinkage over foundation issues. Out house has a hand full of minor cracks like that.

[bjtheman1]

I have quite a few of them, just had me concerned for I know there's been foundation issues in our community but none right around me though.

[Blackpony]

Your in providence right? Might be worth having someone check it out just I case.

[thomasblively]

Olshan will come and give you a free estimate to at least give you an idea what you are looking at.

[ceyko]

None of that looks too bad, but besides having a pro check it out - walk around the outside and look for cracks in brick, and the foundation as well.

[Karson]

Would the crack around the window be from the aluminum wrap around strip that is used on edges? How long does a house here take to "settle" anyways?

My house is about 5 years old now, and it was doing this as well. It was the aluminum wrap causing it. Did it around the showers too. A little painters caulk and some paint and it hasn't come back.

[ceyko]

As far as I can tell, with a lot of these slabs - there is always some level of shifting - but I'm not expert.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Looks like a piss poor tape and bed job, if there is any tape there at all.

[juiceweezl]

As far as I can tell, with a lot of these slabs - there is always some level of shifting - but I'm not expert.

People blame it on the foundation and soil all the time. The reality is that the house is framed poorly (quality) and non-compliant with code for wall bracing. Braced wall panels are required in Chapter 6 of the IRC (R602.10). There are a number of different methods used for bracing with the most common being a 4 feet wide piece of OSB or plywood. The purpose of the bracing is to provide stiffness in plane with the wall to resist loads from wind.

Think of it most by looking at a garage. A two car garage that sits out from the rest of the house will have a large opening in the front with very small sections on each side (the returns) to provide strength in a lateral direction. When the wind blows against the perpendicular wall, the front and the back of the garage have to provide stiffness to prevent the walls from racking. Since the doors create a large opening, those small sections of wall have to resist the forces. The minimum panel length the code allows is 4' (the OSB or plywood panel). Obviously, most garages don't have 4' returns. The code allows for narrower options, but they require special framing and large metal straps into the foundation. Without the proper panels, the walls will rack/move ever so slightly and can result in drywall cracks.

Edit: This doesn't just apply to exterior walls. When looking at the load path of a house and the load resisting elements, the rule is that "load follows stiffness." I often see problems on interior walls because the sheathing on exterior walls is so poor that load ends up transferred to interior walls when it shouldn't be there at all. That leads to cracks and shifting of the drywall.

This doesn't just apply to the garage. It applies to the entire house. Unfortunately, most framers wrap the house in cardboard like sheathing because it's cheap. It's also unfortunate that most code enforcement doesn't make them build to code. Think about all the areas in the house that are full of glass or framing offsets. That's usually where you see the problems. I teach classes on wall bracing all the time and often help builders develop layouts to be code compliant. Over 90% of the problems I see attributed to foundation/bad soil are really because the homes are poorly braced.

[bjtheman1]

/\ I have to agree! my house is a DR Horton home and I've seen many corners cut in areas where built.

I also have nail holes starting to pop out of the drywall too?

[mstng86]

/\ I have to agree! my house is a DR Horton home and I've seen many corners cut in areas where built.

I also have nail holes starting to pop out of the drywall too?

I have cracks showing in rounded off corners on my ceiling and nails popping out because they missed the stud.