[wluo6129]

I've been living for almost 5 years in my 2-story single home, which is almost 21 years old, From last year, I've noticed loud cracking noises coming from various locations along my interior and exterior walls and ceilings. The noise only occurs once, although different locations can pop at around the same time.

These noises come intermittently. Sometimes I won't hear anything for hours, and then within the span of a minute, I'll hear several cracking noises along various locations. The noises seem to be coming mostly from the top floor. Recently I also notices that nail pops and small cracks forming at the roof. The noise seemed to started with the hot weather in the summer.

Can anyone tell me what is this? And is there anything I can do to fix it?

[Dr1757]

Can you get up into the attic and take a good look at your rafters and joists. It sounds like there is some settling going on. What kind of soil is the house sitting on? What part of the country are you located?

[wluo6129]

I am in NJ. I went to attic and took a look. But since I am a dummy, I couldn't really see anything wrong. As for soil, I am not sure about that either. Can you teach me how to check these?

The house was in pretty good shape previously. But I think after a big and windy storm last year, I started to hear the noises. My friend told me the noise is due to heat. But I also noticed the nail poped out this summer and seems more and more coming. I am really worried about it and so afraid that the house will collapse.

It would be highly hihgly appreciated if any can help me out with this issue.

[hkstroud]

Recently I also notices that nail pops and small cracks forming at the roof.

Please be a little more definitive. Are you speaking of interior or exterior?
By nail pops do you mean drywall nails backing out slightly.

Could you mean the ceiling instead of the roof.

By what type of soil, DR1757 probably meant is the soil in your area generally sandy, or clay, or rocky, or loamy ? Do you know if marine clay is known to exist in your area. That is probably something you would have to inquire about at the agency having jurisdiction over building construction in your area.

What you describe would not be heat related and one would not normally expect settling after 20 years.

[wluo6129]

Sorry about the confusion. The noise is actually from the ceiling or wall, mainly ceiling. Sometimes the noise sounds like the wood broke or shifted.

And you are right, the nails backed out slightly from the drywall.

I will check the soil type with the community management and let you know once I find it.

Thank you all for your help!

[Dr1757]

During the hot summers around here with slab foundations we have water around the perimeter of the house especially if the soil is clay or what we call black gumbo to keep it from sinking and moving around which can major problems like you're describing. Your problem still sounds like the house is settling.

[hkstroud]

To have drywall nails back out slightly is not unusual. This happens when the humidity increases and the wood swells slightly. This can push a nail out slightly. When wood dries out it shrinks leaving the nail protruding. When humidity increases again the same thing happen again. After a while you have a nail pop. This occurs more often when the nail has penetrated the edge of the stud. Just drive them back in and patch before painting.


As far as the noise you hear, the way you describe it, if it sounds like wood breaking, it probably is. Go back to the attic, pull back insulation and look for cracked or split ceiling joist. Look at roof rafters. Houses are built such that horizontal wood members rest on another piece of wood. Not just nailed to it.
Look at ends of joist and rafters, that would be over toward the eves and won't be easy.

I can think of no reason for a piece of wood to just break unless you have something really, really really heavy in the attic. If you just put something up there that you shouldn't, you might bow a joist but not break it.

Give a good look around, paying particular attention to the ends of wood members. Look the entire attic. Sound can be very tricky as to where it comes from. Let us know about the possibility of marine clay.

[hkstroud]

DR1757

we have water around the perimeter

black gumbo to keep it from sinking and moving

Interesting and new concept to me. Remember however that wluo6129 is in New Jersey. What is hot and dry to them is probably nice weather to you. It's dry in Jersey when the tomatoes only grow to the size of baseballs.

Of course maybe you guys shouldn't build such big barbecue fires. Maybe you should only build half a fire and cook half a cow.:D:D:D

Lets see what wluo6129 says about marine clay.

[wluo6129]

First of all, thank you all so much for the advice and help. Really appeciate it.

I am still trying to find the soil type from the community association. I will let you know when I figure it out.

At the mean time, do you have any suggestion about what action I should take? Half of the attic is not bright enough for me to see any problem. Should I call a constructor to inspect the house? Or I should wait until I know the soil type and get advice from you?

Again, thank you for all the help!

[wluo6129]

Hi,

I just searched the web and found that the soil type of my area is silt loam. Is this something helpful?

Thanks!

[hkstroud]

The question is "Is marine clay know to exist around here". Not just "What type of soil do we have".

Marine clay is a type of clay that due to its characteristics has a tendency to move horizontally. It may exist on the surface or it may be a subsoil. While it is not prevalent in this area, pockets of marine clay are know to exist around here. Houses built on marine clay have a tendency to move. If the house sits partially on a pocket of marine clay and partially on stable soil, it can simply and slowly split apart. Such is the case with a home next door to one of my 'clients'. Occurs very slowly. The house I speak of was built in the 60's. Wasn't known until 80's.

In no way saying that this is your problem, just asking the question.

Not sure what type of contractor you could call. Anybody from a knowledgeable handy man to a carpenter could crawl around looking for something wrong. Things may or may not be visible. If some wooden member is indeed breaking, it may or may not be in the area where you see the nail pops. Sounds can be very hard to locate and granted you can't sit in the attic waiting to hear something.

I guess right now the only thing you can do is look closely at walls, ceiling and joints. Then if anything changes you will know it.

[Dr1757]

Harold yesterday it was 106 degrees and you should see the areas around here that have black gumbo, it's cracked open so badly that you have watch where you step otherwise you can break a leg. This time year we do cut back to half a cow on the BBQ grill just to be safe.

[Dr1757]

Wluo 6129 now that you know what kind of your house is sitting that maybe will give a clue to what is going on.

Do you have a basement? Have any of your interior doors changed position so that they swing pen or closed by themselves?

[wluo6129]

I found a little more detail of the soil in the area. It is about 27% sand, 54% silt and ~20% clay (I am not sure what kind of clay though). There is no basement in my house, not even crawl space.

So far, all the doors and windows are good without any problem. That is a good sign, right? Is it safe to live in the house? For the ceiling and wall, is there anything I need to pay attention so that I can take action proactive?

Thank you so much. All your advices and questions/answers are extremely helpful to me!

[hkstroud]

From what you have described I wouldn't have any concerns about safety. Certainly you will see visible signs of what is happening long before that. If your house is on a slab and there is any movement or sinking, the first signs would be in cracking in the slab. No preventative measures you can do until you identify what is happening. If some wooden structural member is actually breaking you should also see some outward sign eventually. Can't think of any reason for a ceiling joist to break. I could see a roof rafter cracking if you had a heavy snow load. If it were a floor joist, I could see one breaking if it were notched too much, say by a plumber (wood butchers) under a tub. What type of siding do you have? Could it be aluminum siding that is popping? Any pipes or air conditioning duct work up in the attic?

DR1757
106!! Man that's hot, damned hot. I'm getting old and maybe I should be acclimating for the after life but I'm not ready yet. 106!! Rest assured, I ain't coming to visit, BBQ or no BBQ.

[Dr1757]

Wlulo6129 I agree with what Harold says, I don't think you have a serious problem, certainly nothing that would prevent you from living there.

Harold, just another day in paradise.

[wluo6129]

Thank you all for all the great advices and answers to my questions. I am now more comfortable living here. Again, your help is highly appreciated!