What Causes Cracks In Walls Above Windows

Cracks in brick siding make a home look unkempt.

What causes cracks in walls above windows.

Houses of any age move and shift subtly over time and the weakest area in a wall is the most likely to crack. Cracks in a window corner. Long horizontal cracks that extend along the joints where interior partition walls and upstairs ceilings connect generally signify roof truss issues which cause ceilings to detach from walls. Removal of windows or doors with inadequate propping.

Cracks that sprawl between the mortar joints on a brick wall are not an uncommon site. Diagonal cracks above window openings and door openings are common structural defects that show signs of movement which will need to be rectified. Four causes of cracks above openings in masonry walls are. Your doors no longer close in the frame.

There s no exact method for determining how serious a wall crack is without hiring an expert to examine the wall but you might be able to. There is also a vertical crack running from the middle of the window sill down to the skirting. Cracks above openings in masonry walls causes. They can even form very shortly after the construction of your wall.

Removal of windows or doors with inadequate propping inadequate bearings loads applied directly over the opening no lintels. If the cracks in your walls exhibit these characteristics. Small cracks located above interior windows or doors are usually harmless. Diagonal stepped cracking often indicates that the lintel that supports the masonry above the opening has failed.

The crack has a 3 16 or wider gap. How to determine if the cracks in walls are serious. Cracks above window and door openings. These cracks are serious and require professional attention.

Leaky windows and roofs can cause moisture to get into your home s walls. You can often see a stair step appearance where new mortar has been added to compensate for the settling of a building and to keep the structural integrity of the building. Cracks in the corner of windows or under your windows are a very common occurrence in a home s walls. Before having the cracks under your windows repaired the source of the cracks and their characteristics must be determined to make sure they won t reappear.

One side of the wall is higher than the other. If the cracks in your walls are showing discoloration such as brown or yellow tinted stains then the problem may be the result of water damage to your home. This causes the drywall to get wet soften and deteriorate which then leads to cracking. Cracks above and below windows i have recently noticed that in the majority of our upstairs rooms there are cracks running from the top corners diagonally up to the ceiling.

Diagonal cracking above opening.