More Than a Cosmetic Issue
Hairline cracks can be a normal feature of a new home’s settling. However, many cracks are not just cosmetic, but a symptom of serious structural problems in your home. Any crack you find in your home should be monitored for growth. Especially concerning are cracks wider than 1/8th inch, or horizontal, diagonal, or stair-step cracks of any size. Additional signs that your drywall cracks are not just surface level are doors and windows that suddenly won’t open and close properly, and gaps forming between drywall and walls, ceilings, and baseboards. It is vital to have an engineer evaluate cracks of that nature to determine if they are caused by foundation or framing defects. Patching these serious cracks is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. Our attorneys at Johnson Law work with experienced structural engineers to identify cracks that are caused by a failing foundation. Builders looking to rush through a project may not properly prep the soil before pouring concrete for the foundation, or neglect to install the necessary rebar reinforcement for the given terrain. Improper grading and drainage can also direct water into the foundation, causing it to degrade over time. These shortcuts, which builders may be able to get away with in other states, can cause big problems for Colorado homes. The expansive soil that we have here can absorb a lot of water, expanding significantly when wet and contracting as it dries. This expansion-contraction cycle puts a lot of pressure on a home’s foundation, so if it is not robustly built, that foundation will fail. A home that sits on a defective foundation won’t be able to sit flat. This is what causes the cracking: one side of the home shifting more than the other. That pulls the framing too, and suddenly you’re looking at a domino effect of destruction. These defects can be fixed, but it is not cheap. Pulling up a sinking foundation can easily cost $20,000 to $50,000 or more, and repairing the damage that the sinking has caused to the rest of the home will add to that bill. Your builder had a responsibility to construct a structurally sound home, and so they must be held accountable for the financial consequences of their negligence.
