- Poor construction, water damage, temperature changes, heavy objects on the walls, and natural shifting are the top five reasons why wall cracks can form in homes.
- Installing resilient vinyl wall bases and wall anchors can help cushion the impact of temperature changes and protect from moisture damage.
- Steel rods or bars can reinforce walls if cracks become too severe.
- Wall patching with the joint compound is cheaper but only suitable for minor cracks below 5mm wide.
- To avoid more significant issues down the line, homeowners should check for signs of damage regularly and ensure proper construction when building a home.
Cracks on walls could be a common issue homeowners face, but it is essential to take them seriously as they could lead to more significant problems if not treated early. While they may seem minor initially, they could cause severe damage if left unchecked. In this blog post, we will discuss the five main reasons for wall cracks so you can prevent them from happening in the first place or repair them with the appropriate solutions.
The Walls of Your Home
The interior walls of your home are responsible for keeping the structure of your home intact. It’s also responsible for your home’s insulation. However, they can deteriorate with time due to wear and tear or environmental factors such as humidity or temperature changes. This could lead to cracking walls, indicating that something is wrong with your house’s foundation or its load-bearing capacity. Here are five reasons your walls have cracks in them:
Poor Construction
The first reason for cracks in walls is poor construction. If your home’s foundation is poorly constructed, it will cause your walls to settle unevenly, resulting in damages or, even worse – the walls eventually collapsing. Poor construction can also affect the materials’ quality, leading to wall gaps. Ensure that professionals build your home’s foundation and that suitable materials are used to avoid this issue.
Water Damage
Water damage can cause cracks in walls in different ways. Water seeping through the walls of your home due to leaks, insufficient sealing, or poor ventilation can cause horizontal or vertical cracks in your walls. The dampness caused due to water damage can also weaken the wall’s strength, making it more susceptible to cracks. If you spot any water seepage or moisture in your home, immediately address the issue to prevent cracks from forming.
Temperature Changes
Extreme temperature changes can also cause cracks in walls. The walls expand during the hot summer months, while they contract in the winter. These changes cause stress on the walls, leading to cracks on the surface. Watching for cracks forming due to such temperature changes is vital, as ignoring them could lead to more significant problems.
Heavy or Vibrating Objects
The weight of heavy objects or even the vibrations caused by machinery could lead to cracks in nearby walls. This is true with heavy furniture like bookshelves, pianos, and washing machines. The weight applied to the floor beneath these objects could also cause the wall behind them to crack. You can prevent this issue by ensuring that heavy furniture is nowhere near the walls or that they are correctly secured.
Settlement and Shifting
Another reason for wall cracks is your home’s foundation’s natural shifting or settling. Over time, the soil beneath your foundation may shift and settle differently. This could cause parts of your home to shift or settle more than others, leading to cracks in your walls. While you cannot prevent this completely, you can minimize the damage by monitoring your walls regularly.
Renovation Options For Cracks on Your Walls
Renovating your home is crucial once you see a few cracks in your walls. Here are four main renovation options to ensure your walls are safe from cracks.
Install Wall Bases
You must have a base installed on the walls of your home. A resilient vinyl wall base can give your walls various benefits. First, it can act as a cushion to absorb the impact of any sudden temperature changes. It can also help protect your walls from potential moisture damage.
Installing Wall Anchors
Wall anchors provide extra support to weak or damaged walls by taking up some of the weight that would usually be put on them, preventing further cracking and structural damage. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, making them an attractive option for avoiding wall cracks.
Reinforce Your Walls
If cracks in your walls have become too severe, you may need to reinforce them with steel rods or bars so they can bear the load better without collapsing. This is more expensive than other renovation options but could save you from having to rebuild the entire wall down the line.
Wall Patching
If cracks in your walls are not too severe, you can patch them up with a joint compound. This material can fill the gaps and help prevent further damage from occurring. However, if the crack is more than 5mm wide, you should consult a professional for advice on how to proceed.
Several factors, such as poor construction, water damage, and temperature changes, could cause wall cracks. If ignored, they could cause more severe issues later on, so taking action early on is vital. The best way to avoid these problems is to ensure that your home was built correctly in the first place and then monitor any signs of damage regularly.
