Hairline Cracks in Foundation (Slab) -- Problem?

[dalemccl]

My ranch style house is built on a slab over clay soil in N.E. Indiana. There are close to a dozen vertical hairline cracks visible in the base of the foundation at various points around the house (i.e. from the ground extending up to where the siding covers the concrete.

There are also hairline cracks in the drywall inside in several places and the linolium in the kitchen has a 3 or 4 foot line where it looks like the cement floor may be cracked underneath.

Is this something to have checked out? Other than cracks there is no obvious problem this is causing right now. Is it likely to get worse?

[Bob S.]

How old is the house? Define "hairline". A crack showing underneath linolium is not a hairline crack.

Bob S.

[Italian Mason]

Cracks = movement Cracks in foundations are common in older houses and can be found in new homes as well. some are problems some are not. However if the drywall is cracked as you describe you have had major movement. Just because you have had movement doesnt mean it will get worse some times a structure will settle and then never move again other times it means the begining of failure. Have it checked out to see what caused this or is causing this. And please dont water the soil around your foundation to try to make it expand....

snipped-for-privacy@veriz> My ranch style house is built on a slab over clay soil in N.E.

[Toller]

My house is 24 years old. I bought it 14 years ago. There are cracks in the drywall in 2 places where the ceiling meets the wall, very thin, but also rather long. They were there when I bought the house (lightly spackled over...) and are not any worse now. Spackle doesn't last very long.

Since they have not gotten any worse, it is fair to think that I don't have a serious problem with movement?

[Banty]

Northeast Indiana on clay soil? You may have frost issues. What kind of footers do you have?

Banty

[dalemccl]

Re: "define hairline": in the foundation - so small that I can't caulk them - maybe the width of a line drawn with a pencil. In the drywall, the width a a very fine pencil line. You have to look close to see them, but they are definitely there.

Re: the crack in the linolium. It is actually tile, but not ceramic, more like linolium material. There is an irregularly shaped line about 3 feel long where the tiles aren't cracked all the way thru but it is as if the tiles have been slightly pulled apart in the middle of the tiles so that I see spider vein cracks, not all the way thru the tile.

[dalemccl]

[barry]

You may have had badly-done drywall taping as-built. Which can't be remedied by "spackle". Such joints as you mention will open/close seasonally with variations in moisture/temps affecting the frame. (Wood "moves" too, perpendicular to what was the axis of the tree, with moisture gain/loss when wood's R.H. gets below about 20%.)(

I'd remove whatever stuff possible at those joints on top of the paper, then tape them properly. Good time to see if any drywall nails/screws need to be sunk deeper. Of course, then you prime, paint.

Or you learn to ignore it for a bit.

J

[ephedralover]

Hairline cracks are not a problem. Freshly poured slabs have hairline cracks all the time. The crack in the drywall is not neccasarily from the slab cracks. A bad repair without taping the joints can produce this.

Toller wrote: