Hi Guys,
Just wondering if you can advise me if the following cracks are normal wear n tear of could lead to a major Structural issue for a 17 year old house.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3BSISpx6hM3M2ZjdElWOHFoeDZ…
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3BSISpx6hM3Nmk2MnlQSktqM1d…
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3BSISpx6hM3UHFPOVNKQWFqalp…
Appreciate your response.
Looks reasonable, normal settling. The 2nd shot is just an expansion joint.
All houses get small cracks.
Is it on a slab? What are the surrounding areas like… hilly? drainage run off? land slip?
Is this a house you own or one you are thinking of buying? If the latter then get a good building inspection done, it's worth every cent.
Get a structural engineer or similar to come and have a look.
It could be that your home need or may need in the near future underpinning, restumping or any number of things.
Looks like settling to me.
Seriously, if that's all the shrinkage/cracking/settling you've had in 17 years, I'd say that's an amazing run and the house is as solid as they come. As the ground dries out it shrinks and twists slightly, causing small movements like these in the house, which in turn may lead to cracks. These are not catastrophic. The second picture is case in point: that is EXACTLY where you want any movement to happen, along the expansion joint, which is why they are put there in the first place. Just like the lines they embed in concrete paths, it is a sacrificial area which is designed to move/break/crack so the rest of the structure is preserved.
photo 1 is of some concern, movement in the roof is not a good sign as it means more significant movement has occurred through the walls. That ceiling crack means either the house is pulling apart or the house is breaking in half. Structural engineer recommended.
While the obvious 'crack' in pic #1 may potentially be a worry (i.e. it's defo' not "wear and tear"/caused by external factors), re the other two pics, it's not at all clear what in particular you are referring to.