You just finished moving and decorating your new home. It is everything you have ever wanted and the location is perfect. 8 months later you discover hairline cracks in the corners of the drywall, minor cracks in the tiles in the basement, small protrusions in your walls due to nails rising and your own anxiety level rising as well.
This is a brand new house so why is this happening? New homes are subject to settling due to the forces of nature which makes these problems inevitable and not because your home inspector did not do a good job. These are not structural problems but minor cosmetic damages that can be easily fixed.
Below are some examples of the most common problems with new homes.
- Hairline cracks in the drywall. Moisture content in the air varies as the seasons change, which causes materials to expand and contract. The expansion and compaction of materials are constantly happening, but the effects are most prominent in the 1st year.
- Nail pops. Similar to hairline cracks in the drywall, nails popping out are also the result of changes in moisture content in wood causing the wood to push out the nail when expanding and compressing.
- Minor cracks in basement tiles and foundation of basement walls. These problems are usually due to soil compaction. Soil compaction is taken into consideration before construction workers start building the house, but slight settling still occurs after the finished product.
If you see any of these problems happening in your new home, we advise you to wait a year, see what else needs to be fixed, then contact the builder. Your new home is insured by a 2-5-10 warranty and offers complete coverage on labor and materials for the first 2 years.
What is a 2-5-10 Warranty? Here’s a quick explanation:
