I got called out to look at a job today, some wall & ceiling repairs and painting. A couple of the cracks I saw weren’t supposed to be included in my bid. Homeowner said thats because they open every winter, and close every summer. Huh? I haven’t heard of that before, here in So. Calif. These are interior walls in a new home (probably 10 or 15 years old) with what looks like thinwall plaster over plaster-board.
One crack is at the upper corner of a pass-through (no door), right where the header terminates, and the other is across the entry ceiling. Both cracks are about 5 foot long, and wide enough to put a dime in. Homeowner said the entire house was built without attic ventilation (spanish tile, hip roof), although a recent addition at one end featured two dormer-type vents with intake screens under the eaves.
Any thoughts?
Replies
Here in Ohio that would be normal. Cracks appear when the heating season starts. Dry heat. Summer humidity closes them back up. If you tape patch now, fair chance it will hold next winter. Also, fair chance it will move again. Seems framing has a life after death.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Up here in No. California we have a lot of clay soil. Before everyone started putting in piers to the bedrock they just used spread foundations like my house. When the soil gets wet it swells like a sponge differentially around the house and in the long dry months shrinks back down again. My house was apparently built in the summer because that is when all the doors open and close easily. In the winter everything goes a little crazy. I don't mind it so much, but I'm a little rustic.
This could be your situation. If it is a crack between wall and ceiling try flexible caulk or stay-flex putty and paint over it. But even the best painter can't fix heaving foundations.
Sounds like Truss uplift to me.
Thanks - that sounds like the most plausible explanation to me, because the phenomenon (seasonal cracks on interior walls) might be common in other areas, but its really rare here in So. Calif. And I never saw a huge roof like this one without any venting whatsoever. It would be difficult to add ventilation now: spanish tile roof with a stucco'd eave. Should the HO be concerned? His attitude seemed to be that he could live with it, although I don't think I would be so calm about it if it was my house (its a large, upper-scale home). He's also got some dry-rot in the fascia that may be related to lack of attic venting. The page your link took me to said "Arching has not been associated with structural problems such as truss failure. In fact, the stresses that cause roof truss arching or uplift testify to the structural integrity of metal plate connected wood trusses."
Whether the HO should worry about it is kind of a subjective question. As far as the trusses are concerned, they'll be perfectly happy to do their up and down dance every year. No harm there. My concern is more directed at what's happening in the attic. If there's enough moisture to cause truss uplift, is there enough to rot the roof sheathing? Is that's what's rotting the fascia you mentioned?I think a trip to the attic is in order, and the sooner the better. (Needs to be during the winter).Here's anther recent thread about truss uplift, which has some more info in it:http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=51973.1
My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance. [Tim Allen]