Do you know what to do if you notice wall cracks in your home? Some cracks are more serious than others and they are caused by different events. It could be due to age, your home settling, or a foundation problem.
While not all cracks mean trouble, they are very often unsightly and make your home seem shabby. Ideally, what you should do when you see cracks in your walls is call a professional.
What to Do if You Notice Wall Cracks in Your Kansas City Home
It’s not uncommon for a new home to get small cracks, and it’s more common to see them in an older home. But the first thing you need to do is get the cracks inspected.
Call The Professionals
If you are worried about what to do if you notice cracks in your walls, call a professional contractor. They will know what they are looking for and can tell you if it is serious or not.
If your home is brand new, there can be cracks that appear in your walls. This can be from the house settling a bit after it is built. A new pouring of a foundation is bound to drop or settle a bit.
Once you move all of your belongings into a new home or one that has been empty for some time, settling can also happen once the extra weight is added. It can also happen if you have recently had work done to the house.
New lumber is damp and once that dries out it will shrink, causing things to move along with it. This can cause cracks at places where the sheets of drywall meet.
Take Their Advice
The next thing you should do when you notice cracks in your walls is to take what your contractor says to heart. Hopefully, the cracks are not serious and can be simply repaired and repainted quite easily.
Any cosmetic issue can often be repaired and taken care of right away. Small hairline cracks or even slightly bigger cracks don’t cause a lot of trouble, but they do need attention.
Get the repairs done, regardless of how dire they are or are not. More serious problems do need to be taken care of. A small crack can be painted over, but larger ones need more care.
Invest in Your Home
If your cracks are more serious, perhaps large cracks or cracks that are leaking, you definitely need to have the whole house inspected. Your contractor can find out what is causing these cracks and let you know what happens next.
Even if you are thinking about selling the home, you should have the cracks and the reason they are there all repaired. It may mean a big repair job, taking walls apart, or lifting your foundation.
What to do if you notice cracks in your walls is always to call a professional for an inspection. Damage to your foundation needs to be taken care of right away and even smaller repairs need to be addressed.
What to Do if You Notice Wall Cracks in Your Kansas City Home
If you find cracks that are damp, very long cracks, horizontal cracks, or large cracks on the inside and outside of your home, don’t wait. Call us at KC Pier for an inspection and more information about the cracks in your walls.
The cracks may not be a big problem now but they can become a real headache if you leave them too long. Get an inspection today.