How Do You Know if Cracks in Drywall are Serious?

You’ll most commonly run into three different types of drywall cracks. These types of cracks tend to spring up most commonly around residential areas. The one thing that ties these drywall issues together is that they’re all most commonly indicative of foundation problems.

If you’re starting to see drywall cracks, keep in mind the different types of cracks you’re starting to see. These are the most common types. 

Ceiling Cracks 

Ceiling cracks tend to spread out in a variety of different ways. A good way to determine whether the drywall cracking is a sign of a structural problem is to match them up to anything that’s recently happened in the building. For example, that may be a heavy addition in the story above or a leak that’s dripping through the ceiling.

If your ceiling cracks are bigger than around an eighth of an inch or they’re spreading out dramatically across the ceiling, you may be dealing with a structural issue. It’s also a problem if you’re starting to see cracks underneath a new addition in a second or higher story.

Door Cracks 

There’s a difference between a crack in a door and a crack happening around a door frame. You can often repair a crack in the wood of a door with no problems. However, if you’re starting to see cracks in the corners of your door frames, that often means there’s a structural problem.

When it comes to door cracks, you should always get in touch with an expert if you’re starting to see these problems. Even hairline cracks in these situations can become larger and more substantial. Door frame cracks almost exclusively come from foundation issues, so they’re important to combat now.

Cracking Around Window Frames 

As with door cracks, drywall cracking around your window frames is never a good thing. The drywall may crack in a direct line up from the window, which is more likely to just be a cosmetic problem. However, if you’re starting to see huge diagonal cracks extending from the corner of the window, that’s almost certainly a structural issue.

It’s possible that this could just be a cosmetic issue, but it’s almost always due to your home shifting and changing in some way. The best way to make sure you know whether this is a structural problem or just a cosmetic one is to schedule a free inspection from a JES expert.