Finding Cracks Around Your Property
A guide to cracks around your home
Finding cracks around your home can be evidence of a serious problem. Here is our guide to help you understand the causes of cracks, where they're commonly found and what you can do about them.
1. Cracks found in flooring
Cracks in your floor are generally caused by problems with the foundation. These cracks can worsen over time, which can result in water leaks and other issues.
Changes in soil are generally the cause of such cracks.
When the ground around the foundation of your home becomes too dry, the soil around the foundation can shrink.
This shrinking weakens the support for the foundation and causes it to move or sink, resulting in cracks.
Similarly, when the soil becomes filled with groundwater, it can expand and push the foundation up, also resulting in cracks.
2. Cracks found in walls
Cracks can also be found in the walls of your home. The cause of such cracks can depend on what the wall is made from and can travel up to the ceiling.
The existence of cracks in brick walls can be the result of the settling or movement of the soil. However, it can also be the result of poor construction.
Furthermore, cracks in drywall can be the result of faulty taping in panels. Drywall is held together with mud and covered with tape as a way of sticking the various drywall panels together.
If the tape is not properly applied or there is not enough mud to stick the panels together, this can cause the tape to peel away and result in fine cracks appearing.
If there is dampness around the crack, you may have issues with water leakage.
3. Cracks found on roof tiles
There may also be cracks in the tiles of your roof.
These cracks can form as a result of moisture penetrating the tiles and seeping into the pores of the tile. When these tiles heat up from the sun, they expand and cracks form.
Cracks can also form as a result of people walking on the roof or damage from hail, wind, pests or falling debris.
These cracks can cause water to leak into your home resulting in mould and puddles of water in your home.
When to seek futher advice
It’s normal for houses to have small settlement cracks as the ground beneath the house moves over time but if you're property has major cracking, it's time to seek help. Major cracking in a property often indicates that there are settlement issues or that the home is not structurally sound.
Australian Standards define a major crack as anything greater than 15.0mm. Other cracks between 5.0mm and 15.0mm are also cause for concern, particularly if they are in several locations throughout the property.
Another sign of serious settlement issues is if the doors and windows stick and become difficult to open and close.
If your home has major cracking, it is important to seek further advice and recommendations from a structural engineer.
Have peace of mind with Dedant
At Dedant Building and Pest Inspections, we offer quality building inspections and reports for an affordable price. We have been servicing Brisbane, Redland Bay, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and Logan since 2009. Contact us on 07 3807 0122 or via our website.
