Now, I know this crack is new because 1.) the door is sticking when it didn't before and 2.) we just repainted this room (it was orange) this spring, and the crack is clearly through the new paint. (Which I've also noticed, thanks to these pictures, is pretty sloppy, but we were planning to do the trim later. Really.) To put it in context, the back door is off the kitchen and looks like this...
It's always been an odd setup to me, and it's clear that the nearly floor to ceiling window on the left is not original to the house. I think it was added sometime in the '70s, based on the age/features of the window. The door also doesn't seem like it's original, nor does its diamond-shaped panes seem to fit in our craftsman-wannabe bungalow. I would love to know who decided on this configuration and why. Double French doors or even (horrors) a big sliding door set would seem to make more sense than this setup. But back to the crack...
So, this seems bad, very bad. I don't know where I heard the saying "vertical cracks okay, horizontal cracks bad" but it has helped reassure me about many cracks in our plaster walls. Of course, most cracks in our house are more diagonal than strictly vertical or horizontal, but with all the others, I have managed to convince myself that they are "mostly vertical." This one, however, cannot be said to be anything but horizontal.
You'll also note that it continues not just through the trim, but along the top of the door frame...
And, I'm afraid, it might go through the door sill. Or is that just where the two pieces of wood meet and maybe it was always like that?? (click on the pictures to get a better view of what I think might be the continuation of the crack)
Please disregard all the dirt and cobwebs, but you'll also notice the large crack about 3 inches up on the wood siding. Somehow, that concerns me less because I think that is just from the siding separating a little and the paint cracking, which somehow seems much less severe than this mega-crack that goes through the house.
So, the question, of course, is "what should we do?" Of course, we are once again paralyzed by a complete lack of knowledge. Now that it's been almost a week, I'm just about at the point of "live with it and see what happens next." I just hope that "what happens next" does not include the caving in of our back door.
It's always been an odd setup to me, and it's clear that the nearly floor to ceiling window on the left is not original to the house. I think it was added sometime in the '70s, based on the age/features of the window. The door also doesn't seem like it's original, nor does its diamond-shaped panes seem to fit in our craftsman-wannabe bungalow. I would love to know who decided on this configuration and why. Double French doors or even (horrors) a big sliding door set would seem to make more sense than this setup. But back to the crack...
So, this seems bad, very bad. I don't know where I heard the saying "vertical cracks okay, horizontal cracks bad" but it has helped reassure me about many cracks in our plaster walls. Of course, most cracks in our house are more diagonal than strictly vertical or horizontal, but with all the others, I have managed to convince myself that they are "mostly vertical." This one, however, cannot be said to be anything but horizontal.
You'll also note that it continues not just through the trim, but along the top of the door frame...
And, I'm afraid, it might go through the door sill. Or is that just where the two pieces of wood meet and maybe it was always like that?? (click on the pictures to get a better view of what I think might be the continuation of the crack)
However, the real killer for me is that I think it continues on the outside. Outside?!? A crack that goes all the way through the wall to the wood trim on the outside doorframe? I don't know, but it sure looks like it...
Please disregard all the dirt and cobwebs, but you'll also notice the large crack about 3 inches up on the wood siding. Somehow, that concerns me less because I think that is just from the siding separating a little and the paint cracking, which somehow seems much less severe than this mega-crack that goes through the house.
So, the question, of course, is "what should we do?" Of course, we are once again paralyzed by a complete lack of knowledge. Now that it's been almost a week, I'm just about at the point of "live with it and see what happens next." I just hope that "what happens next" does not include the caving in of our back door.
2 comments:
What a dilemma! I wish I could offer advice but unfortunately, I don't know anything about cracks. Keep us posted on the findings and hopefully someone else you know will be able to help.
BTW, how are you guys? Haven't heard from you lately. Did the session end? Is Jeff still working at home?
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