Do You See Cracks? Tips for inspecting your home's condition as spring arrives

The weather is finally beginning to warm up, ever so slightly.  What was negative temperatures is now in the 20s and 30s, so its positively balmy!  Or at least that's what it feels like, and the hope of spring is in the air.  You can see the snow melting everywhere, in a few spots I even saw the side of the road!

This is wonderful for our hearts, minds and gardens, but not always as great for our homes and foundations.  In our depths of winter, the frozen soil swells, slightly raising our homes.  When the ground finally begins to thaw in spring, the structure can come back down at different rates, causing uneven settling and therefore cracks.  Some problems you'll want to take care of right away, before further damage occurs, but not all fissures are cause for alarm.  The best way to deal with this situation caused by our Michigan winters, is to take a tour around the exterior and interior of your home, looking for any areas of concern.

Inside:  If your windows or doors are not closing or frequently get stuck, it's an indication that they are out of square.  Now, this could be because the door was never installed properly, or it could be a sign that your house has shifted, especially if it the door or window never seemed to stick before.  Out of square doors and windows are sometimes an easy fix, and sometimes not.  The longer a door has been out of square the more it warps to that new position, and therefore, when you correct it, the harder time it has fitting to that new, correct position.  So the sooner you call Lord and Lady Construction to correct this (usually easy) fix, the better!

Another inside indicator to look for is cracked tiles, sagging floors, cracks in the drywall and trim separating where it joins around windows, doors, etc.  All of these issues can also typically be easy repairs, but are usually more of a visual concern than a serious problem.  If you're unsure, you can always give us a call at Lord and Lady, we offer free consulting and estimates and are delighted to come out and give you our advice on the situation.

A crack in the drywall could be as simple as drying plaster, or could be a sign of a shifting home

Outside:  Check for gaps in the window trim, one of the first places you'll see damage.  Look at the roof-line; if you see a gap in the frieze board (the outer trim right below the roof) your home may experience wall rotation.  

Do you have a brick, cinder-block or stone facade?  Stair step cracks in masonry that are one quarter inch or wider are a telltale sign of movement and should be addressed.  Once these cracks have started, they will most often progressively get worse, and could also let through water as the snow melts or rains fall.  

If you have a chimney, try to check out the condition both on the lower level and up top (PLEASE:  never rest a ladder onto the chimney for inspections, if it isn't secure, your weight on the ladder could dislodge it and cause serious damage to yourself and the home; don't go onto your chimney for inspections if there is still snow or ice on the roof; if you have a steep roof or are unable to safely and carefully inspect the top of your chimney, but you're still concerned, give us a call and we'll do it for you, even if we don't find damage, your safety is more important).  When it snows, sleets and rains, water often will run down the edges of the chimney, this over time, can cause significant damage and should be addressed before something catastrophic (like a chimney collapse or even just portions collapsing).  If you're unsure if the damage is serious enough for repairs or not, just call us at Lord and Lady Construction, better safe than sorry!

 

Chimney top cracking away, this should be addressed right away - it allows water to go straight down the chimney - it will work its way into the ceiling, walls and more.

Cracking and mortar coming away

Cracking down the chimney - this is an issue that should be addressed immediately - it will only get worse

Large cracking and movement of the columns, which hold up the porch roof that is connected to the house, despite holding the home like this for years, this should not be ignored.

The cracking and separating that you can see in the other photo of this home, over time, caused the column to begin to split under the pressure of no longer being at the correct angle/position to hold up the home.

Another example of a chimney top that is degraded.  Again, this should be addressed immediately, as it will allow water to travel straight down the chimney into your home, ceiling and walls.

Degrading and cracking stone chimney.  If the stones on your chimney appears to have little mortar left, flaking mortar or cracking mortar, you should address it immediately and be careful not to use the chimney as support in anyway (with a ladder, hand, etc).  When stone chimney's begin to degrade, just the right touch can easily cause the stones to dramatically start to fall away.  This is not only a problem for your chimney, but also the roof and most of all your safety while inspecting.

Below Grade:  Pressure from soil, bushes, trees and water outside can cause basement walls to bow in, leading to a major red flags; a horizontal crack, usually 4 ft up from the floor; or more stair-step cracking again, usually 4 ft up from the floor or higher.  If you can see daylight through any of these cracks - this is a serious issue and should be addressed immediately before water starts coming through it.

Any below grade issues should warrant a call to us here at Lord and Lady Construction or another expert, to ensure that further damage, cracking or water damage, does not continue and cause larger financial woes.

Some serious bowing happening here - caused in large part by bushes and trees outside, right on the foundation, that were pushing.

Stair-step cracking

Stair-step cracking

Stair-step cracking

Here the crack in this old stone foundation got so bad, that the stones just fell away from the corner.

This crack in a poured foundation, looks innocent enough, but the crack was pouring water through it.

With this crack in a poured foundation, you could see daylight through the crack, upon snow melting, water was gushing into the basement of the home.

If you spot trouble or something you think is up to no good, call us here at Lord and Lady Construction, (231)386-7668 or Thomas@LordandLadyConstruction.com.  We serve the entire Grand Traverse Bay Area, including Leelanau County, Grand Traverse County, Benzie County and Antrim County (if you aren't in these counties, you can still give us a call, we have done consulting on homes all the way down to Kent & Berrien county before).

We will bring our equipment and expertize to the site and help you evaluate how serious the issue is and what should be done about it, whether that's a rebuild, repair, or just keeping a close eye on it over the spring, summer and fall.  Remember, we offer free consulting and estimates everyday, so there's no charge to you to give us a call and even if we find an issue, there's no obligation to do the work immediately.  So as the snow melts away, do a tour of your home and give us a call if you spot any issues!