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ntsmith
join:2014-11-09
USA

ntsmith

Member

[Masonry] Hairline cracks in around stone masonry - home exterior

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Hello,

I have a three year old house that has started to develop cracks around the stone in on the front of the house. I think the cracks are cosmetic and I was considering just filling them in once I can match the mortar color.
Does anyone have experience with this?
Is there anything I can do to prevent more cracks from appearing or the current ones from expanding?

Thanks

davidg
Good Bye My Friend
MVM
join:2002-06-15
00000

1 recommendation

davidg

MVM

the house has settled, if it is not getting worse then chipping out the mortar some and putting new in will be fine. if it is getting worse, you may need to get the foundation checked. any cracks inside near windows/doors?
aguen
Premium Member
join:2003-07-16
Grants Pass, OR

1 recommendation

aguen to ntsmith

Premium Member

to ntsmith
Providing at least a City, State address for your home would also possibly be of use here as there are several different geographic locations (in the USA) known to have issues with ground upheaval and or subsidence.
18189353 (banned)
join:2014-10-28

18189353 (banned) to ntsmith

Member

to ntsmith
That's pretty normal for a new house. They build 30+ houses across the street from me 2 years ago. Every single one has foundation cracks now. Some even have cracks inside in the drywall.

Coma
Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand

Coma

Premium Member

said by 18189353:

They build 30+ houses across the street from me 2 years ago. Every single one has foundation cracks now. Some even have cracks inside in the drywall.


Typical builder spec houses . . .
18189353 (banned)
join:2014-10-28

18189353 (banned)

Member

said by Coma:

said by 18189353:

They build 30+ houses across the street from me 2 years ago. Every single one has foundation cracks now. Some even have cracks inside in the drywall.


Typical builder spec houses . . .

Yup! They cut the siding too short so in the winter you can see the housewrap. No gutters on the houses. Some of the doors don't close without force because they aren't square. Everything you'd expect in a $500,000 to $1.25 million house!

Fronkman
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away
Premium Member
join:2003-06-23
Saint Louis, MO

Fronkman to Coma

Premium Member

to Coma
i know you meant it as a casual comment, but seriously do you think it is possible to build a house that has zero settling in the first few years? mostly of us don't anchor the foundation to the bedrock...

I certainly am not defending the dodgy building practices of most contractors today...there is a reason i live in a 100-year old house that was built the 'right' way. But let's save the criticism for true sloppy techniques (like backstabbed wiring) not engineering phenomena that happen to every house.

Coma
Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand

Coma

Premium Member

said by Fronkman:

i live in a 100-year old house that was built the 'right' way.


It doesn't have to be a 100 years old to be built the 'right' way. You just can't cheap out on engineering or materials and you have to know your subs.

My father was a builder/developer, my sister was a builder/general contractor and I was a MHIC licensed general contractor. My father once told me "a crappy built house will last almost as long as a well built house" and he was right.
H_T_R_N (banned)
join:2011-12-06
Valencia, PA

H_T_R_N (banned) to Fronkman

Member

to Fronkman
said by Fronkman:

seriously do you think it is possible to build a house that has zero settling in the first few years?

I should hope so!
18189353 (banned)
join:2014-10-28

18189353 (banned)

Member

said by H_T_R_N:

said by Fronkman:

seriously do you think it is possible to build a house that has zero settling in the first few years?

I should hope so!

Hope is all you have there. The Earth does whatever it wants to do. You have no say in the matter. You can spend an obscene amount of cash trying to mitigate that fact but in the end the Earth does what it wants to do.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

I have to agree. I have yet to see a house that didn't have some degree of settling. Usually it is easy enough to repair, and doesn't continue after the first year or two. (When it keeps moving after that, you have a problem)