Home Improvement

Ask a Home Improvement Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Home Improvement question?

3 Home Improvement Experts are Online Now

characters left:

Not a Home Improvement Question?

Question

We live in south central virginia and have a home that was built in 2003. Soil has high clay content. We noted after a few years possible house settling that has gradually worsened. The front of the house is ground level and we have a finished basement that opens out the back at ground level. The first floor over this basement is hardwood and the floor boards are developing gaps. A small transom window over the rear of the house cracked this winter when really cold and the drywall at the corner of this window now has a small crack. Above this on the second story a couple doors are no longer square and do not close well in the winter. During the summer these do close much better but still not square. No cracks noted in the poured cement foundation. During a renovation, we noted the exterior wall studs are manufactured with feathered joints that we are told are not code. Our builder says these are consistent with code. Should we be concerned or is this normal settling?

Submitted: 116 days and 13 hours ago.

Category: Home Improvement

Value: $9

Status: CLOSED

Posted by Stephen Cutler 116 days and 3 hours ago.

Answer

Hi and thanks for using JustAnswer.com.
Hardwood flooring develops gaps during the low humidity season if it was installed in high humidity. It should close again with the return of higer humidity. This has nothing to do with settling.
What cracked in the transom window-the glass, the frame, the trim?
The small drywall crack is a result of expansion/conrtaction from the extreme temperature swings of really cold to summer. The doors out of square suggest lateral movement. This can result from a combination of a breach in the sheathing stagger and hot humid/cold dry expansion contraction pulling on the framing. Doors swell in humid summer and shrink in dry winter- so where your door are acting badly in reverse, it is not the swelling of the door but rather the framing & sheathing.
I have seen fingerjointed butt joints in structural laminated beams before, but never in a single structural member. I have seen them fail in entry door frames where the wood absorbed moisture. They may have excellent strenght in compression, but they would weaken the lateral deflection resistance of a stud. Depending on a proper nailing schedule in sheathing to overcome this lateral weakness is taking a big chance. This is probably why you are experiencing lateral movement at your doors. I would have the builder show you the code AND the house plans specifying fingerjointed studs WITH the engineers stamp.
I hope that this information was helpful to you. If it was please remember to click "ACCEPT" on your screen to make sure that I am paid for my efforts. By clicking ACCEPT you are not giving up your ability to ask more questions pertaining to this subject, and I will be happy to respond to these as well. Please take a moment and leave feedback, it is very important!

116 days and 1 hours ago.

Reply

A few things to clarify:
1. If the finger jointed studs are not code then what do I do? Is this fixable and is this such a big problem that the value of my home is in major jeapardy?
2. The vinyl frame of the window did have a hairline crack in it adjacent to the transom window that popped. does this change your thoughts on this?
3. Finally, if I understand you correctly, it seems that you doubt the foundation itself is really settling, rather the problem with the doors and windows may indeed lie in the studs moving?
4. If I wanted to have an inspector look at this in more detail what type of qualifications should I look for?
Thanks John

Accepted Answer

1. if not code-then:either the exterior or interior would have to be removed and fingerjoint studs strenghtened.
2.vinyl is easily cracked in extreme cold. It also has a huge co-efficient of expansion. If racking forces were applied in extreme cold it would crack. Still don't know if glass cracked- what does popped mean?
3.You reported nothing to indicate the foundation has broken and settling unevenly, so I have no reason to suspect that.
I do suspect studs moving, but you have not reported any associated drywall cracking,or base trims seperation at the doors.
4.A 3rd generation carpenter, or an engineer, possibly a very good architect.

First thing to do is to identify the studs. They have stampings on them. Find the manufacturer and get spec sheets from them. Then ask your building inspector about these studs.
I hope that this information was helpful to you. If it was please remember to click "ACCEPT" on your screen to make sure that I am paid for my efforts. By clicking ACCEPT you are not giving up your ability to ask more questions pertaining to this subject, and I will be happy to respond to these as well. Please take a moment and leave feedback, it is very important!

Accepts:
Expert:	Stephen Cutler
Pos. Feedback:	99.3 %
Answered:	7/29/2009

General C&ontractor

35 years of troubleshooting construction, remodel, component & material failures. What to do next

Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.