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Hi All - hoping to get your opinions on if this is just my new homeowner anxiety or a valid concern moving forward. I know full well that it is hard for you to determine it just based on a pair of pictures, but would love to get your thoughts.
For background, I purchased a condo in February'22 that was built in 2016. It is a 3-unit building with ours being the top unit. There are a couple new cracks in the wall/ceiling as pictured. I have looked back on videos/pictures that we took of the place months ago and can confirm that these are indeed new.
One of the cracks is on the ceiling in our hallway. The other ones are in the living room (pictured) and in the bedroom nearest to the living room. Both are a single long crack on the indented wall near the ceiling of the room. I couldn't upload the video, but for more context - you can push it up and down from below where the crack is. I have ran it by two GC's that I know in the family (just the pics/vids, they didn't come over) and both believe that it is regular settling to be expected in a new build. I contacted my realtor who is a friend and she gave me the number of a structural engineer. He wants $750 to come out to inspect it and another $350 to write up a report if needed.
Here are my questions, outside of just your overall opinion which I would greatly appreciate:
1 - How long does "settling" typically take? I know this must wildly vary depending on the ground it was built on, building techniques/quality, etc - but essentially, is it possible for settling to continue to take place 6 years in? Is it possible that this happened before with the prior owners and they just patched it up as they went/before they wanted to sell?
2 - Is it worth bringing someone out to take a look? We have individual unit insurance and the condo association also has a master building insurance policy. Perhaps I can find a better rate through an insurance connection and/or we can have it covered under the HOA fund since this can impact the entire building.
Thank you in advance and please let me know if you have any questions that I can help clarify.
Knowledgebuilder will tell you the straight poop at some point but I think the ceiling might be from a water leak. The other looks like settling which can continue for years with some areas of the country being much worse than others. Also if the builder didn't do good enough foundation the settling will be worse.
Knowledgebuilder will tell you the straight poop at some point but I think the ceiling might be from a water leak. The other looks like settling which can continue for years with some areas of the country being much worse than others. Also if the builder didn't do good enough foundation the settling will be worse.
The water leak part worries me. In the seller's disclosure, they noted roof damage in 2019 from a storm that was "fully repaired". What kind of professional do you seek out for something like this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
6 years and those are the only cracks?
If yes, then go back to sleep.
All houses settle.
I did a hardcore check this weekend and yes, those are the only ones. Now, if there were ones prior to us buying in Feb'22 that the previous owners repaired/covered up, I can't speak to that.
[quote=NjDevils3027;63858393]The water leak part worries me. In the seller's disclosure, they noted roof damage in 2019 from a storm that was "fully repaired". What kind of professional do you seek out for something like this?
Pretty much any handyman, carpenter or painter. Maybe a drywall guy.
Get on a step ladder with a flashlight and look really close to see if you can get a better idea of any water damage to the drywall.
Perfectly normal. Buildings settle their entire lives. If it bothers you, put a few drywall screws into the framing, then patch the cracks and repaint. It's a very simple repair, and there are countless videos and tutorials about how to do it. This is just one example.
There's one word that has been repeated several times in this thread and it needs to be removed from one's vocabulary-
"Settling".
After 6+yrs the "SHRINKAGE" is done.
What you're experiencing is expansion/contraction of ceiling/roofing framing- and maybe some wind movement (Considering you're 3rd flr.).
First pic is a drywall seam. Drywall board is hung perpendicular to the ceiling joist/bottom cord of a truss (verifying this would help. A conventionally framed ceiling roof would be 16"o/c versus a truss roof system that is more likely framed 24"o/c); boards can expand and contract due to the high temperature/high humidity fluctuation in attics. that movement can certainly create a blister line like that.
In the second pic- the vertical line is a stress fracture of the drywall- meaning, the framing has moved in such a way that it has "fractured" the drywall. The long horizontal line that follows the corner is the "cornerbead" breaking loose. probably directly related to the other crack. They appear to be part of the ceiling- possibly a vaulted ceiling(?) which in itself tends to move a lot with trusses.
Overall, these are minor issues- they certainly don't require a PE for an inspection or wet seal letter for correction.
A good drywall person can repair them with some "hot mud" and nylon mesh tape- but they certainly can't diminish the shrinkage/movement- because "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"!
There's one word that has been repeated several times in this thread and it needs to be removed from one's vocabulary-
"Settling".
After 6+yrs the "SHRINKAGE" is done.
What you're experiencing is expansion/contraction of ceiling/roofing framing- and maybe some wind movement (Considering you're 3rd flr.).
First pic is a drywall seam. Drywall board is hung perpendicular to the ceiling joist/bottom cord of a truss (verifying this would help. A conventionally framed ceiling roof would be 16"o/c versus a truss roof system that is more likely framed 24"o/c); boards can expand and contract due to the high temperature/high humidity fluctuation in attics. that movement can certainly create a blister line like that.
In the second pic- the vertical line is a stress fracture of the drywall- meaning, the framing has moved in such a way that it has "fractured" the drywall. The long horizontal line that follows the corner is the "cornerbead" breaking loose. probably directly related to the other crack. They appear to be part of the ceiling- possibly a vaulted ceiling(?) which in itself tends to move a lot with trusses.
Overall, these are minor issues- they certainly don't require a PE for an inspection or wet seal letter for correction.
A good drywall person can repair them with some "hot mud" and nylon mesh tape- but they certainly can't diminish the shrinkage/movement- because "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"!
*thanks Tom!
Thank you so much for this detailed response. Based on this, I might just hold tight for a while and see if other similar issues come into play before deciding to fix. The condo was just pained in February when we purchased it. We aren't planning on selling any time soon (at least 4+ years) and in fact, hope to be in a fortunate enough situation to rent it out when we want to move. If the issues currently appear to be cosmetic in nature, we can get by without fixing.
My biggest concern was if there was damage due to a leak or perhaps a poor structural foundation. Essentially, anything that we should take action on NOW to prevent things getting worse.
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