Cracks! Some have large ones. Some are small. Some run horizontally while others run vertically. Some are okay while others can be real disastrous. Some are "V" shaped while some are stair stepped. No matter what direction your crack runs or how big or small it is, one thing can be said for certain, all houses have cracks...
While there are many schools of thought out there on how to look at cracks, and interpret them, the purpose on this crack primer is to paint with a broad brush in a general sense of the word how to read and interpret.
Small hairline horizontal or vertical cracks that run through drywall can generally be attributed to poor installation, or expansion/contraction of the siding especially if on an exterior wall that gets a lot of sun exposure. Cracks along vaulted roof lines or trey ceilings is common. These can also be caused by wood shrinkage over time. Get over it, it is going to happen. No house is perfect.
Diagonal cracks and sticky doors can come from the dreaded male wood shrinking phenomenon as it dries. More likely than not though, it is more likely to come from foundation settlement. If the house is fairly new, the possible causes is that the soil was not properly compacted before the foundation was laid. It generally takes anywhere from 5-10 years for a house to "settle in". If the house is older, it is also possible that the house has experienced some wood shrinkage or warpage in the framing materials. Because building methodologies were not what they are today, it is not uncommon to see floor joists "take a set" or become permanently bowed downward over time. You know how gravity works on body parts right? The same holds true for houses. What ever the case, when things start to sag, cracks develop.. 
Small stair hairline step or stepped cracks in concrete masonry unit walls if small can be considered "normal". These most likely are cause by minor foundation settlement, or mortar shrinkage. It is always best to monitor these for further development. Larger stair steps generally spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. These are telling you that settlement or in cold weather areas upheaval of some type may be happening. These could be minor, however if the crack is large, 3/16th of an inch or more, further review by a specialist in the appropriate trade should be strongly considered. 
Hairline cracks that are vertical or nearly vertical in masonry unit stem walls or poured concrete stem walls are areas that need to be monitored as external pressure of some type is being applied to the walls. Look down the wall, if you see a significant bowing or the crack is gaped, this may be a sign that hydraulic pressure is being applied. If the cracks are wide at the top and narrow or hairline at the bottom, it usually means that one or both ends of the foundation are dropping or rotating downward or the middle of the foundation is rising or heaving. Whichever the case, these are generally bad news and can be a sure sign of problems that need to be further reviewed by a professional in the appropriate trade. While this primer did not take into consideration all the types of cracks that are out there, as there are many, the purpose was to inform you that cracks can be predictable or spell trouble, depending upon the circumstances. So when it comes to looking at and deciphering the language of cracks, it is best to leave this up to your home inspector. They have probably looked at more cracks than you have...
Wishing all my fellow drips and tweeps a G-r-r-r-reat day... 8-)
If you or someone you know is purchasing a home in Brentwood, Franklin, Nashville, Spring Hill or Thompson's Station in the Davidson or Williamson county area of Middle Tennessee and would like more information about getting a home inspection, give us a call at 615.661.0297. You can visit us online at www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com - Check out our monthly newletter
Your building consultants for life...
Follow me on Twitter...
By TwitterButtons.com
By TwitterButtons.com
You can follow me on FaceBook too...
© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Large enough for excellent service... Small enough to care...
This posting and the contents herein is the intellectual property of Michael Thornton, CEO of The Complete Group. We provide the highest quality service in the areas of home inspections and videos/photography for the web, corporate, businesses and the real estate industry. Complete Home Inspections, Inc. and Creative Video Concepts serves the Brentwood, Franklin, Nashville and the area surrounding Davidson and Williamson County TN. This post is a contribution to the ActiveRain Real Estate Network.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc
615.661.0297
Creative Video Concepts
615.339.7709
Brentwood, TN
Wow, that was quite a primer. Thank you for sharing this information. I especially liked the photograph examples that went along with the narrative. Cool!
Great title and lots of information here....
Have a wonderful day!
Michael...
As always a wonderful presentation :)
TLW...ROAR!
Very timely, as I have a client who is concerned about cracks the home-inspector pointed out to him in the foundation of the home he is buying. 'Think I'll forward this to him.
Michael, thank you! I am bookmarking this for sure.
Good summary and fabulous pictures. I've walked many buyers away from seriously damaged properties. It just makes sense. If the damage were not serious, the owner should or would have already made repairs.
I had one buyer buy a property in spite of warnings and a release to me. They paid over $60,000 for a failed footer and damage to the house, most of which are depicted in your photos above.
Michael, Loving this post! I'm saving this one. I have quite a toolbox of your posts that I am collecting about issues. This is one of my favorites, as settling seems to be such a big issue, whether it is a problem or not! Thanks for the great read!
Do you work with any of my "Homey's" from Bob Parks Realty? Worked with Bob for 7 years when I lived in Nashville. Amazing company :)
Michael, thanks for the great "crack." Have a great St. Paddy's day. Take care and have a great day.
Elizabeth, I work with a few of your "homeys". Thanks for collecting my posts... ;)
Lenn, Thanks. Some cracks need to be taken seriously...
Andrea, thanks for the bookmark ;)...
Margaret, Glad that I could help...
TLW... Thanks for stopping by...
Toula... Have a great day...
Carolyn... I strive to be informative and entertaining...
Always, always get questions about crack. Thanks for the clever post, it was helpful.
Michael...
Great post and I'm bookmarking it for future reference. I really appreciate the time and effort you spent putting this together for us, and a well deserved Gold Star for you!
Good informational post on cracks. I see both sides of the fence, some worry to much about the small stuff and others ignore them when they shouldn't.
Good info - thanks for cracking us up :)
Michael - This post should be used a reference material by every real estate agent in the country, besides that, you have to laugh at the male wood shrinkage.
Cute title...your crack me up... LOL. My this is a good list of potential problems and some major expenses for anyone who does not under stand cracks found in walls, thanks for sharing.
Michael... and here I thought you were selling crack instead of real estate. I'll agree, very catching title, yet some very good information. Especially about how long that it usually takes a house to settle in. And this was creative also... nice job. Now I must go check out my own crack... wait, which crack are we talking about?
As you stated, some minor drywall cracks, i.e., corner bead separation and joint compound shrinkage, can occur during the settlement process; these can be fairly typical and easy to correct.
Michael, this is the prime reason why home inspection is so important! I always leave the question on cracks up to the pros!
Thanks for the great explanation on cracks...and great lead-in title. The whole V crack had me thinking "what?" :-)
Mike,
Valueable information! Thanks for taking the time to share it!
Michael, very good information. I didn't know cracks could talk. I bookmarked your post for future reference. Thanks.
Well,
Your title got my attention and made Nutsy blush. Good article.
Michael - I have to admit I started laughing when I saw the title of this post, but you provided some very good information here. Thank you.
Michael, Great post, since I am not an inspector I refrain from making judgments, but if I see red flags, I will certainly point them out. Then if they go ahead, I bring in the expert help, like you and sometimes a structural engineer to give the qualified opinion.
This quacks me up Michael----every crack tells a story.
Michael _ thanks for this post as I have just looked at a home last night that had horizontal cracks in the foundation. This is timely info for me as well. Good post!
Love the title and thank you for something I can tell clients concerned about the cracks in the house they are looking at.
Nearly everyone here eventually has a horizontal crack at the frost line in their basement if they have a concrete block basement. It is always the topic of conversation while looking at the house and again during the inspection as the inspector "deciphers" the crack as you say.
Sometimes w/ a refi the appraiser asks you to get an engineer to look at it. Of course as the homeowner you just get used to your own crack and may or may not be aware of changes. I remember cracking up in the early 90's with a Realtor friend when she was refinancing when she said something about needing to get home because a guy was coming over to look at her crack.
Michael - I must admit that you have the catchiest headline of the day. This was a very informative post!
Dear Michael,
Thanks for the primer and photos! I would never comment on a crack, other to point it out.
That's what home inspectors are for.
Barbara
The title had me !!! This post is great information. Thanks for the information!
Michael - Let's get crack-a-lacking... I have a couple of photos of cracks too !!! I just can't find the cracks right now LOL. ~Rita
Wow - that was awesome! You have a "cracker jack" post here! Wait... Let me not get involved in the puns!
Kathy
Michael - Great post! I am definitely bookmarking this as a reference guide :)
Great Dr. Suess impersonation, I think you could make this a book. :)
Crack kills is a bad way to start a comment but I represented a buyer and the cracks were attributed to an addition of upstairs that was too heavy. Good post thanks.
Thanks for all the very valuable info. I must bookmark this one!
I also bookmarked this one and my husband is a Inspector...lol I can use it to explain different cracks to clients. I have had people not buy homes because of cracks, one in particular cost over $10,000 to fix. Thanks for the great post.
Very funny Michael, butt full of good information about cracks (pun intended:o)). Thanks for the smile.
Nothing a little bit of photoshop can't get rid off :)
Michael - That depends on if I'm standing up or laying down.
Love the title Michael. I live in an 84 year old house with plaster walls. My crack runs for miles!
Very interesting post, I've always wondered about cracks
Mr Michael,
As the boss said, your post made me blush. Then I got a beer
Nutsy
I was nodding my head throughout your whole presentation. Great job Michael!
Thanks for the post.
Thanks for sharing this, the photos were very helpful as well!
Michael...
I just finished reading this entire thread in my email. Most of it cracked me up. Can I now say "I see your crack Jack"? :)
TLW...ROAR!
Michael, what a clever title! Your post was interesting, but not what sprung to mind :-)
I liked this blog. I see so many of these settlement cracks and the inspector usually says to get a professional to check them out. I'd like the inspector to do that as you suggest!!
Michael, excellent post on foundation settlement. In my structural engineering practice, about 30% of my business is foundation repair. A lot of home buyers can walk into some serious problems if they buy a house with ongoing foundation settlement, and it's critical that anyone buying a house hire a good home inspector to find such defects. If foundation settlement is found, and the buyer still wants to consider getting the house, an engineer should come out and assess the damage and make recommendations for the repairs.
George
www.runkleconsulting.com
Tanks Michael great timing for me to see your post