Well dang.. I just found a diagonal crack near my bedroom window.

[jnw]

First crack I've seen like this in this home.  I guess it happened within the past few months according to my BF.

It looks bad.  It's at least 18" long.

I don't know what it is.. if it is termites or foundation settling or what. I have no idea how to call to inspect this.  But something need to be done soon about it.

[jnw]

HOme is like 50 years old.  It's in Oklahoma and the soil is not great here.. lots of clay.  I've seen other homes in the neighborhood having to get foundation piers etc.  I guess I thought this home was invulnerable because everything looked so flat/level here when I bought it.

[Weisass]

Is your wall plaster?

[jnw]

Is your wall plaster?

Dry wall

[snic]

It could be just cracked drywall. There are all sorts of reasons why drywall cracks, and a shifting foundation is pretty far down the list. Unless you're in an area where that's common, I guess...

I'd read up on how to repair a drywall crack, then do it and keep an eye on it. If it comes back, or cracks start showing up elsewhere, you might have a bigger problem. It seems to me (I could be wrong) that the house isn't going to collapse overnight, so there's no need to call anyone to diagnose it unless you start seeing more cracks and/or there is other evidence of something serious going on.

[lthenderson]

First crack I've seen like this in this home.  I guess it happened within the past few months according to my BF.

It looks bad.  It's at least 18" long.

I don't know what it is.. if it is termites or foundation settling or what. I have no idea how to call to inspect this.  But something need to be done soon about it.

This is quite common as houses age so I wouldn't worry about it. Depending on where you live and the climate, it could be caused by a number of different things but it all leads back to the wall has moved for some reason and the corners of windows and doorways are usually the points where cracks in the drywall form first. It is a pretty easy DIY project to fix. Just get some drywall wall tape and joint compound, watch a couple YouTube videos on the subject and go to down. Once you have it patched and feathered out smooth, repaint. We used to do this in my parents farmhouse about every three years around several of the doorways and one window. That farmhouse is still standing after 100 years and will probably still be standing when I'm six feet under.

[jnw]

First crack I've seen like this in this home.  I guess it happened within the past few months according to my BF.

It looks bad.  It's at least 18" long.

I don't know what it is.. if it is termites or foundation settling or what. I have no idea how to call to inspect this.  But something need to be done soon about it.

This is quite common as houses age so I wouldn't worry about it. Depending on where you live and the climate, it could be caused by a number of different things but it all leads back to the wall has moved for some reason and the corners of windows and doorways are usually the points where cracks in the drywall form first. It is a pretty easy DIY project to fix. Just get some drywall wall tape and joint compound, watch a couple YouTube videos on the subject and go to down. Once you have it patched and feathered out smooth, repaint. We used to do this in my parents farmhouse about every three years around several of the doorways and one window. That farmhouse is still standing after 100 years and will probably still be standing when I'm six feet under.

Who knows this crack could of existed just before I bought the home 10 years ago.  Taped and spackled before the paint job.   I am going to have termite inspectors come out though since that's a free examination.  It's been like 5 years.  I should do this yearly I guess.

[GilesMM]

Do you keep your foundation watered in summer? Otherwise the clay shrivels and foundation can move.

[jnw]

Do you keep your foundation watered in summer? Otherwise the clay shrivels and foundation can move.

I don't do anything special.  It rains off and on a lot here in Oklahoma. Last year we had a veyr dry spell and I noticed all sorts of big cracks in the soil in the back yard.. worst year I've seen it -- maybe that's what did it.  I suppose I should get a foundation specialist to come out and look to see if I need to get any piers installed.

I'm afraid I started doing something I'd just make it worse.  This house has been rock solid for 50 years.. well at least up until this new crack .. bleh.

[Paper Chaser]

I'd mark the end of the crack with some painters tape or pencil and just wait for a few weeks to see if it's growing before you do any cosmetic repair. If it's still growing, then you've got other issues and any cosmetic repair would be wasted.

Some settling is common, especially with new homes. Being 50 years old, I'd be concerned about other causes.

Is the home built on a slab, basement or crawlspace?

[jnw]

I'd mark the end of the crack with some painters tape or pencil and just wait for a few weeks to see if it's growing before you do any cosmetic repair. If it's still growing, then you've got other issues and any cosmetic repair would be wasted.

Some settling is common, especially with new homes. Being 50 years old, I'd be concerned about other causes.

Is the home built on a slab, basement or crawlspace?

Floating slab.  The slab is about a foot or so above the ground outside.

I just marked the end with pencil.  Actually the crack goes for about 2 1/2 feet.. it just get finer and finer after 18" or so.  The pencil mark is only about 6" from the other wall now.

What are the chances my window is going to shatter under the pressure?

Not gonna lie, this crack is giving me some anxiety now. I used to feel comfortable about this home holding up. We plan on living here the rest of our lives.

[sonofsven]

I'd mark the end of the crack with some painters tape or pencil and just wait for a few weeks to see if it's growing before you do any cosmetic repair. If it's still growing, then you've got other issues and any cosmetic repair would be wasted.

Some settling is common, especially with new homes. Being 50 years old, I'd be concerned about other causes.

Is the home built on a slab, basement or crawlspace?

Floating slab.  The slab is about a foot or so above the ground outside.

I just marked the end with pencil.  Actually the crack goes for about 2 1/2 feet.. it just get finer and finer after 18" or so.  The pencil mark is only about 6" from the other wall now.

What are the chances my window is going to shatter under the pressure?

Not gonna like, this crack is giving me some anxiety now. I used to feel comfortable about this home holding up. We plan on living here the rest of our lives.

Yeah, that's a pretty big crack, something is going on below your window.
You can see how the window has settled and it's pulled the drywall apart. I guess it could be an old problem because I'm guessing it went through a remodel in the last twenty years or so, based on the drywall to window transitions (no casings). Is it a vinyl window?
Does the window still open and close properly? Do all the gaps around the window/jamb look consistent? Vinyl windows can get pulled and pushed out of position pretty easily.
I don't think you need to worry too much about the window breaking, there should be enough "give" between the jamb and window. And houses can "stretch" a lot before you start having real problems.
So it's either the slab settling or it could be termites have weakened the wall framing as you suggested. I think the slab settling is more likely, but as termites are not a huge issue where I am I may be discounting them too easily.
But the way it's split is a strong suggestion that it's the slab. The termites would have to eat huge sections of the framing for it to sag enough to crack the dw like that. There's really not a huge amount of weight on the wall studs since it's spread across so many.
Have you looked at the slab outside under the window?

Overall, I don't think it's a huge issue. Houses just do this over time. Wood moves. But still you should get it checked for termites.

[GuitarStv]

I have nothing of value to add to the concerns about your house shifting.

But if it makes you feel any better, the house I grew up in was originally an old (80-90 year) log cabin that had had a bunch of additions built onto it (2nd floor, couple extra rooms, garage, porch) over the many years.  But it had no foundations.  The footings for the house were placed directly on the dirt under the house in the crawl space.  So every spring and fall as the ground froze or thawed the house would shift a ton.  Some doors would start to open properly, cracks and gaps would appear in the floors, and some doors would stop opening properly, the whole nine yards.  So my dad would crawl down into the crawl space with a level and as many jacks as he could carry, and try to even things out.

We were there for more than a decade . . . and by the time we moved out, there must have been thirty jacks under the house that dad was adjusting to level things out twice a year.  He still says that in another ten or fifteen years he could have had the house straight.  :P

[lthenderson]

What are the chances my window is going to shatter under the pressure?

The worst that will happen is that your window will start binding when trying to open or close. My previous house had nary a crack in the drywall for the first decade I lived in it until one summer when it was one of the driest on record. The subsoil dried out, shrinking, and thus causing foundational shifting and a big crack to form in the drywall in the corner of the master bedroom.

[cchrissyy]

goodness no you don't need to be scared!
have the wall and window situation checked out but it's not an emergency.

[jnw]

Here is the exterior of the home where the diagonal crack is on the drywall inside.  You can see the cracks in the mortar, corresponding to the diagonal shape/length of the crack inside. I underlined the cracks in green in gimp.

[jnw]

Would this structural issue be in the area of the window or could it be on the other side of the house, say in the backyard.. and the whole foundation is sloped or something

[lthenderson]

Since you said this is a house on a slab with no basement, my guess is the dry weather has caused subsoil shrinkage which led to the crack on the outside and inside of the house. I'm not an expert but I'm guessing there is little to be done at this point unless it continues to get worse. More moisture in the spring might replenish the subsoil moisture and expand things to where the cracks aren't expanding and then you can opt to patch them or live with them.

Where I would start to get concerned is if the crack on the outside widens to the point where insects and moisture can get inside the house. I'm not sure I've ever seen an older brick clad home that didn't have cracks in them in several places like what you outlined. It is just a fact of using immobile materials on mobile grounds. Something always gives.

[Paper Chaser]

Mud jacking might bring things back up if it seems like the problem isn't getting any worse.

[chemistk]

My house has a dozen and a half of these, both like the one you noted inside as well as the outside ones. Every single brick house on my street, and a good portion of them in my neighborhood, have similar exterior cracks (mine are just more noticeable since my brick is white).

As I've spent the past almost two years silently fretting about all of them, I've become at peace with just about every one. I'm going to patch the exterior ones...eventually, but I've now had two rides on the carousel of seasons of the weather we get here in the Mid Atlantic, and I've watched as some of the exterior ones shrink or expand depending on weather (but rarely lengthen).

My advice - as others have said, document the cracks and periodically check on them if you think about it. Note any compounding issues, like windows or doors that open and close differently. Keep an eye out for other signs of structural issues, like floors that suddenly slope or cracks in the tile.

If you have it professionally inspected, the only professional you should call is a structural engineer. Any company whose business it is to shore and repair foundations has every incentive to tell you that you need to repair your foundation yesterday, or your house is going to sink into the ground. A structural engineer will thoroughly inspect your house inside and out and issue a report, and then it's up to you to choose how to proceed.

[lthenderson]

Mud jacking might bring things back up if it seems like the problem isn't getting any worse.

Actually, experts say you shouldn't use mudjacking on foundations where soils could expand once they are rehydrated. The reason is that you will obviously push the slab out of level in the opposite direction and compound the issue. If the issue was because the subsoil couldn't support the weight, adding more weight could make it sink even further.

[jnw]

Had a structural engineer come out recently and evaluate my home -- he's the best in my city according to the people who referred me. He discovered the diagonal crack is from some minor foundation settlement, which he says is normal for a home this old here on the clay soil.

He said I could easily get by without any piers, and just monitor it.  On the brick veneer exterior of home, I have about 1/2" gap at top of one window about 16 feet in from one corner of the home.  And on the adjacent wall to that same corner in about 16 feet in as well is another gap at the top of another window of about 1/3".

He said if I wanted to stop any further settlement and restore the foundation to it's initial state, then he recommends five piers, steel push pier underpinnings.  One at the corner of the home and two on each side adjacent to that corner, spaced apart by 8 feet.

He recommended a particular foundation repair company and I called them and gave them the engineer's very detailed report.  They are going to come out and assess things and give me a quote.  I am guessing around $8000 to $10000 for the repairs.

If you were me, would you just monitor it every so often, say measuring the window gaps on each side of the corner, and only repair it if it continues to get worse?  Or would you just repair it now.  I have the emergency funds to easily pay $10k to repair it -- I have near $30k saved in efunds.   I can even put it on say a credit card I can churn for a $900 sign up bonus, to get a discount.

I am thinking I'll just do it now.

Do you keep your foundation watered in summer? Otherwise the clay shrivels and foundation can move.

I asked the structural engineer about this and he said to just water the areas near the home enough to keep plants alive; he said the droughts are so aggressive here there is no battling it.  I do recall last year there being some serious erosion of soil I haven't ever seen before in the 10 years living here.. big wide deep cracks.  It didn't rain much last summer.

[lthenderson]

If you were me, would you just monitor it every so often, say measuring the window gaps on each side of the corner, and only repair it if it continues to get worse?  Or would you just repair it now.  I have the emergency funds to easily pay $10k to repair it -- I have near $30k saved in efunds.   I can even put it on say a credit card I can churn for a $900 sign up bonus, to get a discount.

I am thinking I'll just do it now.

I would at least wait it out through the rest of the year. As soils rehydrate/dehydrate due to seasonal differences, things can often return back to the way they were. The gap differences might lesson though the crack in the drywall will remain and need patched. Since it has many years living here before it happened, it might be many more years before/if it ever happens again. Then it might make sense to put some money into a permanent fix. But if it only happens once a decade due to extreme conditions, throwing a lot of money might be a tremendous waste since you might not even be in the house the next time and a hidden fix like that will ensure a zero chance in getting your money back with added house value.

[sonofsven]

I think getting the quotes for installation of piers is a good idea.
It will add to your knowledge base as well. Ask lots of questions (I'm sure you will!).
I doubt I would spend the money myself, just based on your photos and the engineers description.
Remember too that the brick veneer is just siding, not structural.

[jnw]

Thanks for the replies.  The following is the Conclusion section of the professional engineer's structural inspection report -- I used the same guy about 10 years ago to evaluate home before I purchased it.

"Since the previous inspection performed ten years ago, there has been some slight differential movement of the perimeter foundation. It is the opinion of this engineer that the structural significance is minimal. The defects that have developed as the result of that foundation activity are typically considered as normal wear and tear for residential construction. The defects are minor and cosmetic in nature. However, stabilizing the foundation will reduce the potential for further differential movement and/or future settlement development. The recommendation of this engineer is that perimeter foundation underpinning be installed around the northeast corner of the house to lift and stabilize the perimeter foundation through that area. A sketch has been developed and is included as an attachment to this report, indicating the recommended location of five (5) foundation underpinning piers.

The perimeter piers should consist of steel pipe piling driven through brackets attached to the outside edge and bottom of the foundation. Driving of the piling through the bracket using the house as resistance should penetrate the softer clay soils so that foundation support can be derived from rock or shale at the deeper elevations. The driving operation should lift the foundation, recovering settlement losses that may have developed over the years. Moving of the foundation can cause interior and/or other exterior defects to develop. These defects are not generally considered as structural but may require some cosmetic repair work once the underpinning operations are completed. All attempts should be made to locate underground utilities prior to installing the underpinning system.

There were no indications of any significant differential movement of the ground supported concrete slab throughout the interior of the home. The concrete slab appears to be stable with no indication of excessive floor slab settlement or activity.

The building frame appears to be well constructed with no indication of any structural defects or deficiencies. There were no indications of any excessive frame deflections. The interior defects noted are relatively minor cosmetic defects generally associated with normal wear and tear for residential construction. Repair of these types of defects is generally considered as normal home maintenance."

[ChpBstrd]

Welcome to the wonderful world of fracking, where 2.0+ earthquakes are a daily occurrence in places with no fault lines. There was a 4.5 near Medford in January 2022. The area southwest of OKC has a big cluster, with 2.0's every day.

Fortunately, industry has assured us these quakes have no effect whatsoever on people's foundations, so we can just disregard any connection.

[jnw]

Got the quote from Foundation Repair company, allegedly one of the very best companies in town, and I was PLEASANTLY surprised.

I thought they'd come back with $7k to $10k.. they only want $4890!   For 5 hydraulic pressed steel push pier underpinnings.. this includes the tuck & point mortar work afterwards as well.

I am going to go ahead with it since it's such a good price.

They gave me a $300 discount because I used a structural engineer to generate the plan for them.  I had paid him $350, so it's only costed me effectively $50 for his structural inspection here along with plan.   Also got referrals for the best plumber, paint & trim, concrete-work, and roofing companies. 

Side note: having the plumbing company replace a sillcock, soldered in with new tuck & point mortar.. replacing of 4 shut of valves in home and the installation of an in ground water pressure regulator -- this old house didn't ever have one.. (they have to dig a big hole and install a box for it).  Altogether that came in higher than I thought it would at $1900.. but I'll go with them b/c they are also the one of the best in town.  [They are installing Woodford Model 19 sillcock and they wanted to use a plastic oversized flange instead of mortar work, and they also wanted to install it with ProPress -- but I demanded mortar and solder instead.. they'll oblige.  The oversized plastic Woodford flange looks not so attractive in my opinion.]

[cchrissyy]

It is the opinion of this engineer that the structural significance is minimal. The defects that have developed as the result of that foundation activity are typically considered as normal wear and tear for residential construction. The defects are minor and cosmetic in nature. However, stabilizing the foundation will reduce the potential for further differential movement and/or future settlement development.

this sounds completely fine and i wouldn't peruse the repair unless the cracks were really bothering me, visually speaking, and money was not a concern.

[jnw]

Only thing is I think the foundation settlement might perhaps be accelerating a tad.  I also noticed my front porch sunk at the corner, where the main post is supporting the roof.  The other post -- the inner one closer to the front door -- has about a 3/4" gap in it.  I just notice this in the past 6 months.  Didn't notice it last year.  I walked out on the porch and I was like.. this feels weird.. like it is more sloped now.  Then I saw the inner post.

Taking care of the porch as well.. will be the first thing I do.  But all this happened after the really bad drought last year where we got big, wide deep cracks in our clay soil.  The engineer said the last drought like this here was about 15 years ago, before I had bought this home.

But I did put a pencil mark at the end of the crack about 6 months ago and it elongated about another 6 inches.   But the drop in the front porch was dramatic.  The engineer said it look slike it perhaps didn't have a footing in the corner that sunk.  he said I should get a footing put there and then the porch re-poured.

We do plan on living here the rest of our lives.. no intention of moving at all.  And I guess it'd give us peace of mind that it can't sink further (if it is in fact accelerating) and allow us to finally repair the crack in the drywall along with the mortar outside.

[ChpBstrd]

Do you have good gutters? This sounds a lot like what happens when the roof just pours against the foundation.

[jnw]

Do you have good gutters? This sounds a lot like what happens when the roof just pours against the foundation.

Actually the corner of the home that sunk a bit is at the end of the gutter.  And the corner of the porch, where it sunk a bit,  is where rainwater is leaking out of the gutter (just noticed it dripping out from the gutter there during the last rain); so you are probably right.  I'll have a roofing company (or whatever contractor) come out and inspect / repair the gutters.  Perhaps install a french drain or whatever as well at the corner of the home.  Make sure the water all goes out to the street.

[jnw]

I had the 5 steel push piers installed yesterday, 3 of them mounted below the original 3 foot deep concrete piers.  They jacked up the home today about 3/4" in the corner it sunk. The diagonal crack in the bedroom completely closed up -- compare to original photo I posted in this thread 7 months ago.

It was $5k total, a great price, so that's why I went with it.  At least I won't have to worry about it sinking further -- peace of mind.  Lotta bad clay soil here in this state.

I think I can get away with just sanding and painting over the crack now.  But I won't bother doing it at all until it's time to repaint the entire interior of this home since you can hardly see it when looking for it.

(Ignore the speaker wires and mess on dresser. I need to run those wires through the walls/attic.. some speakers I installed above the tv screen on our wall.)



EDIT: Here's an image of one of the steel push piers mounted just below the original concrete piers.  The gray conduit is our fiber internet.

[lthenderson]

Hard to beat a $5k price tag if what they did is effective over the long term.

I thought I would add that I just wouldn't sand and paint over the crack. I would get a roll of that thin joint tape and take the time to apply it over the crack with a thin layer of joint compound. The paper facing on drywall does have some strength benefits that will prevent pieces from breaking off if bumped at a future date and becoming a bigger issue to repair. You still might get some thermal movement of the drywall that can cause the crack to open up a tiny amount and crack any unreinforced joint compound or paint that went over it but not enough to crack the joint tape. It is perfectly fine to wait to do that until you repaint the room.

[jnw]

Hard to beat a $5k price tag if what they did is effective over the long term.

I thought I would add that I just wouldn't sand and paint over the crack. I would get a roll of that thin joint tape and take the time to apply it over the crack with a thin layer of joint compound. The paper facing on drywall does have some strength benefits that will prevent pieces from breaking off if bumped at a future date and becoming a bigger issue to repair. You still might get some thermal movement of the drywall that can cause the crack to open up a tiny amount and crack any unreinforced joint compound or paint that went over it but not enough to crack the joint tape. It is perfectly fine to wait to do that until you repaint the room.

Thanks okay I'll patch the crack properly when it's time to paint everything :)

Yeah it's totally worth it, it won't sink anymore. They hit bedrock with the push piers and achieved optimal pressure before jacking up the house; they are also giving me a 20 year warranty.  They actually fabricate their own push pier brackets, locally here in town, different types of them.  They look really beefy and have very nice mig weld joints. (They are pretty much the best foundation repair company in town.)

Part of the reason I decided to go ahead and do it is I have about 1.5 to 2 inches of sinking int he northeast corner of my porch.  I have to get the porch demo'd and re-poured , the roof jacked up a bit and the post re-installed.  I was just worried the house would continue to sink at a faster rate; I had no issues with the porch nor the house foundation up until 1 year ago when we had a severe drought and nasty wide cracks all over the soil -- sort of freaked me out, all of a sudden, porch was sinking and the wall having a diagonal crack.   I was expecting a bid of $7.5 to $10k for this work, surprised they came in at $5k, it made it pretty easy to decide.   I also plan on living here for the remainder of my life; I'm in my 50's.