Will gutters help with cracking in walls?

Question

This past summer, we had contractors build an add-on room to our home. They turned out to be terrible--they never showed up, the roof had gaps, some of the windows aren't set level to the ground, and the list goes on. Now around two of the windows we have cracks in the wall extending diagonally out from diagonally opposite corners of the windows. We don't have gutters over those walls, and rain tends to run off over one concentrated spot on each wall. My husband thinks we can at least slow down the cracking and maybe correct it completely by installing gutters. I'm not convinced, because the workmanship was so poor in the first place. Any thoughts on if gutters will make a noticeable difference? If not gutters, then what?

Answer 1

I'm not great with home maintenance, but cracks in the walls is caused from moisture getting in. If the windows were not installed correctly, you may be able to caulk them, depending on how big the gaps are. It sounds like either they were not installed correctly or not measured right. Gutters may help but not much. You may also need tuck pointing. That's another major reason for cracks in walls. I would have the contractors come back and fix it. If they were licensed and bonded for your town, you can also complain to your local building commissioner.

Answer 2

sorry to hear about your trouble with idiot contractors. first question; did they take out building permits with your local building dept.? did the building inspector stop in and check the work as it progressed? did he issue a c.o. when the work was completed? if none of the above took place you may have legal recourse through your state licensing board. now on to the gutters; is the ground against the foundation sloped away from the addition? gutters will allow you to direct the flow of rain water away from the foundation and prevent the washout of it. it is a good idea to have gutters as without them water can splash back on your house and lead to rotting of the sill and walls. but, i think what you are really experiencing is settling of the addition. by the sounds of their shoddy work i would guess that the framing around the windows is poor. also if the walls where the windows are is under the roof end, as opposed to the gable end of the addition, the weight of the roof rests on these walls. now a worse case scenario is that the roof in the middle is spreading the walls as it settles. check for that by measuring at the ceiling, the width of the room, at the end, middle, and next to the house. if you find it to be wider in the middle get a structural engineer to assess your addition, soon! if this is how you job turned out, just be glad that you didn't go with the cheapest bid! think how bad that would have been!! hope this advice helps you in some way and that you realize that not all contractors are bad! next time get references and check them!!

Answer 3

You should try to find out if there are headers above the windows and two studs on either side of one window running straight up.There should be at least a 6" tall header that spans the width of the entire rough opening. Without doing too much damage you should be able to tell with a nail just above the top trim boarder and up towards the top plate(stud going horizontally) near the ceiling driving the nail to see if it is solid every 2 inches or so.A stud finder is cheap and can do this without the holes.After the header, shorter studs,(cripples)should be present 16" apart going vertical up to the top plate The cracks could be the weight of the roof not having this support.Or when they installed the window they could have knocked the frame in from the outside putting on the siding and pushed the drywall out with the frame.which could have messed with the drip cap ( L like trim)that "should be" running along the outside top,that keeps rain, that drips down the siding out and away from the window You need to have the roof inspected first to see if the fascia board has drip cap as wellThis goes over the fascia board into the gutter and if you live in a cold climate there should be Ice shielding(a rubber like blanket) under the top of the drip cap going up 2ft, spanning the entire width of the roof under the shingles It's for ice that accumalates and has a tendancy of seeping water behind the shingles which could find it's way behind your wall And if you have water damage there could be mold. Its not recommended But you may be able to see if the roof is leaking looking in the attic in that area going back to its origion. Be carefull as in between the studs are just drywall that won't support you,if you miss a step .I hope this helped a little.Wishing you and yours well.

Answer 4

Gutters might help -- you can try
A gutter run over the effected area might do the job.
You might run a water hose near the affected area, simulating rain, and see if the water path leads you to the crack.
If it does, then make a visual judgment of wether gutters would break that path.

However, with the issues you state, any part of the addition, or the joining of new work to old work could be suspect. And the "roof gaps" notation is of serious concern.

Good luck

Answer 5

The main problem (aside from your idiot contractor) you are having is this: the rainwater runoff has caused the foundation footings to settle. Improper preparation to the foundation, excess water, poor workmanship, etc. can all cause settling.

Install gutters to allow the water to expel at least 5 feet from the foundation and slope the grade to promote proper drainage. Monitor the cracking after this is completed. Repair when you are certain there is no more movement. Feel free to email me with any other questions you have. Good luck.

Answer 6

Yes this will DEFINITELY help. You should sue because it sounds as if the mortar was poorly mixed. That can be a safety hazard. Sorry. Also save all receipts for repairs for reimbursement. Contact the contractor in certified letters asking him to resolve the problem. Take lots of pictures. If he doesn't rectify the situation then file a suit or go to arbitration. Don't forget to get an inspector to come by and document. Also get another estimate on repairs. If the mortar was improperly mixed then then the entire wall will have to come down. We had to go to arbitration and won $40,000. for expenses and repairs on a retaining wall.

Answer 7

I don't have a good answer just a suggestion for you. Contractors have to warranty their work for a year if your not happy with their workmanship maybe a judge would, after seeing the cracks give you some if not all of your money back

Answer 8

Yes the gutters will make a big difference.

Answer 9

GET THE WATER AWAY FROM RUNNIN DOWN THE WALLS
AND FOUNDATION
YA PICKED SOME FLY-BY-NIGHT CONTRACTORS AND I'LL PRAY FOR YA AS I SEE THIS EVERYWHERE
YA CAN DO IT YOURSELF BY GOIN OVER TO HOME DEPOT OR LOWES
GOD SPEED