[Hannajack]

My house is about 22 years old and I have been finding a few cracks in my drywall. Does this mean I have foundation problems? We have lived here for 10 years and I have found about 5 so far. I have also found a few cracks in the basement ceiling.

[Flying Blue Eagle]

Hannajack-Without being able to inspect it personaly, I will tell you about two otherreasons this can happen #1- Yes it could be caused by settling o the foundition,
But it could very weell be caused by expansion and extraction [ contrsaction];; Which is caused by the cold nights and hot day severy building on the earth,does the same thing every day and night;;NO MATTER WHAT IT IS BUILT OUT OF <WALK DOWN the halls,of a large building or a hospital .The metal plates you see on the floor and up the walls are called expansion joints ,I have seen those concrete joints open 3or4inches at night and openm about the same during he day;;; #2- I don't know what area you live in but [ IF YOU LIVE IN A AREA WHEREYOU HAVE SLIGHT EARTH QUAKES EVERT DAY THEN THIS MORE THEN LIKELY THE CULPERT CAUSDEING YOUR PROBLEMS OF THE WALL &CEILING CRACKS & floors;;; TALK to the building Inspector at city hall or the local TV station or radio station,about any tremmors in your area { EARTH QUACKES}:I hope that I have helped you in some way or at least got you on the right tract,to the cause.;; Have a better night and a bettertomorrow and GOD BLESS ::F.B.E
PS- ASK the building Inspector about the { Expsansion and CONTRACTION ON HOUSES AND BUILDING wHILE YOUER DOWN THERE ;;;f.b.e.

[hkstroud]

Does this mean I have foundation problems?

After 22 years, not very likely. All houses settle. Most settling occurs in the first year. A house on a good foundation on solid soil will settle about 1" in 100 years.

Other things such as vibration and the movement of framing members, caused by humidity changes, can cause cracks. Its kind of hard to see the cracks from here but if they occur at drywall joints it is more likely that the drywall finisher went a little light with the mud underneath the tape.

Look closely. If the crack is actually the drywall tape (use to span the joints) separating from the drywall, using a putty knife, open up the crack slightly. Push some drywall mud between the tape and the wall. Push the tape into the mud and smooth with the putty knife. The put a thin coat of drywall mud over the tape, feathering the mud out about 2 to 3 inches beyond the crack. When dry sand and paint.

If the cracks are truly cracks and not the tape lifting, spread a thin coat of drywall mud over the crack about 4" wide. Tape by embedding the paper tape in the mud. Smooth the tape with a 5 or 6" drywall knife. Smooth from the center of the length of tape toward the ends. After dry, put another thin coat over the tape feathering out about 5 or 6" each side.

After dry sand smooth, if necessary, and put a on final thin coat.

[Hannajack]

Thank you very much. The cracks are appearing in strange places all over the house... sometimes I feel like my house is going to collapse and fall apart!!

[hkstroud]

Show us a picture of a few.

Five cracks in the drywall in 10 years and you feel like your house is going to collapse? Being a bit dramatic aren't you. An annoyance at most.