I'm from Texas. Do I have a foundation problem? No cracks in walls but some cracks in ceiling.?

Question

Will home insurance help? thanks for any help.

Answer 1

If you don't have wall cracks, that's a good thing - you most likely don't have foundation problems.

Depending on what year your house was constructed, you might have trusses in your attic, rather than simple rafters. Trusses are rigid engineered framing components, and when ceiling drywall is attached to them, cracks can appear when the roof and walls move in different directions. Proper applicaton of sliding truss and wall brackets will minimize drywall cracking - if they were installed during construction. (Sometimes, framers will just nail the trusses to the walls, and then you get the ceiling cracks.)

You might want to have a house inspector or contractor look over your ceiling construction and the attic area, and give you an on-site inspection. If you have trusses and they are causing the cracks, then you will probably always have that problem.

It is not a structural problem, but merely a cosmetic problem that can be resolved with additional taping and application of joint compound. An annoyance, but not a serious problem.

Answer 2

Depends on how bad the cracks are. Minor cracks are normal and can be caused by the foundation shifting or it may be due to the drywall being installed up against the wall without a gap in between them. Over time, the panels swell due to the climate. Look around your house and see if you can find cracks in the foundation anywhere. Another sign of a foundation problem is that doors become hard to shut. If it's just minor cracks in the ceiling, I wouldn't worry. Just keep an eye on them to see if they get bigger. Call a repair service if they do. They can tell you exactly what the problem is and how to go about fixing it.

Answer 3

Check the ins. to see if it is. With the drought we have had the foundations are all cracking!I have lived here all of my life. It happens during a normal summer also.Try watering the foundation. I run the water hose for hours under my house to keep this from happening. Just move it from corners to center of the front, back, and sides.Run the water in each spot for an hr or so. Skip a day and do it it again,and maybe skip 2 days and do it again. Then start doing it for 30 min.each spot about 2-3 times a wk.It will help a lot.That is if you live where you can water it! We haven't had to stop watering completely here.The black dirt here really cracks foundations bad. You get to live in this great state but you have to put up with foundations cracking! Best wishes and get your gas and water lines ckd also. You can get leaks with the cracking!!!

Answer 4

Hi - you might have a foundation problem - shifting can cause cracks where the ceiling meets the walls. Actual cracks in your ceiling may mean leaks or an unstable support structure. As to insurance - depends on what caused it - doubt that shifting is covered by insurance.

Answer 5

if your ceiling is drywall its probably just faulty construction work you can get joint compound and patch it up then repaint....Cracked ceilings are not nromally caused by bad foundations you would have cracked walls you can also walk around the outside of the house if you have a cement foundation and see if you have cracks if the foundation has big cracks in it and it is bad you will see where part of the foundation is higher then the other parts or lower alot of this really depends on what your house has been constructed from, brick, rock, wood , cement blocks,,,,etc... a little more detail would be helpfull

Answer 6

Well I lived in the Dallas area for 25 years. The ground is mostly clay for the first 3 feet, If is doesnt stay wet around the foundation, It will crack. The clay in Dallas is known to crack with opening upward of 6" to 8"

Answer 7

That's probably foundation, but the wall cracks are way more typical. Insurance will only cover it if it's from some kind of peril, not just the house settling.

Answer 8

for some one to answer that question from the info u gave they would have to be some kind of god
how old is the house? if it is new it could just be the lumber drying out and shrinking. builders are in such a rush these days houses are built before anything drys out, so it happens a lot. try patching the crack yourself, if it cracks again then call your builder

Answer 9

Sounds like settling from the info you've given. Don't touch your insurance, it'll just raise your premiums. It can easily be fixed with spackle. Just fill the cracks, and paint over.

Answer 10

Sounds like you have moisture gathering there, possibly from a leaking roof.