7 Causes of Cracked Walls, How to Solve, and Repair Them

Cracked walls are one of the most common problems in residential buildings. Not a few newly built dwellings also experience wall cracking problems, either subtle or severe cracks. The problem of cracked walls if not immediately repaired can cause a lot of unpleasant impacts, one of which is to damage the aesthetics of the house. So that you can recognize the causes of cracked walls, how to overcome and repair them, this article will discuss about:

1. 7 Causes of Cracked Walls :
   1. Location
   2. Low Wall Quality
   3. Earthquake
   4. Improper Plaster Process
   5. Decaying Wood Sills
   6. Too Heavy Building Load
   7. Incorrect Mixture of Building Materials
2. Types of Cracked Walls
3. How to Fix a Cracked Wall
4. How to Repair a Cracked Wall

7 Causes of Cracked Walls

The walls of a house or building that experience cracks are indeed a very common thing. It can be said that almost no building is made one hundred percent perfect without any defects or minor cracks at all. Even minor cracks should not be underestimated.

No matter how small the crack is, it can cause rainwater or other seepage water to enter between the walls easily. If left unchecked, the wall will automatically rot and crumble. Wet and damp walls will also make the color of the wall paint fade and make the appearance of the wall unattractive to look at.
Wall cracks that are getting worse can affect the structural condition of a building. Severe cracks can make the wall unable to stand perfectly and unable to support the weight of the building strongly, it can even cause the wall to collapse easily.

Actually, what factors can cause the wall to crack? Below are some of the causes:

Location

Location is one of the main causes of cracked walls that are commonly experienced by many people. What is meant by location factor is the condition of the land where a building stands. For example, buildings that stand in rice fields with wet soil textures such as former rice fields or swamps will be more prone to cracking. Conversely, buildings that stand on dry land are less likely to have cracks in the walls.

Low Wall Quality

Another factor that causes wall cracks is the low quality of the walls. When building a house, there are many choices of wall materials that you can use. Houses made using red bricks generally have better wall quality than hebel and can affect their resistance to cracking.

Earthquakes

If you live in one of the countries above the volcanic belt, it will automatically cause frequent volcanic earthquakes even if they are on a low scale that can damage buildings and cause walls to crack.

Improper Plaster Process

Although this is fairly simple, it turns out that the process of painting that is not correct and not thorough can be one of the causes of cracked walls. Ideally, a wall that is already standing perfectly also needs to be plastered. After it is completely dry, then the painting process is carried out. Unfortunately, many builders are impatient so that the painting process is done in a hurry. As a result, the wall will easily crack in a short time.

Decayed Wood Sills

The wood used for the frame of the house will definitely expand to weathering at some time. If the frame made of wood has begun to expand and experience weathering, it is certain that the surrounding walls will be affected. This is one factor that people rarely pay attention to.

Building loads that are too heavy

Many homeowners carelessly renovate their houses from one level to two levels without any good calculations. Increasing the house will automatically make the load of the wall increase. Walls that are not specifically designed to withstand the weight of a two-story building can crack and jeopardize the structural strength of a building.

Incorrect Mixture of Building Materials

The process of building a house requires the use of many different materials so that the building can stand perfectly. If the mixing and use of building materials is done carelessly and not according to calculations, the walls can automatically become easy to crack.

Types of Cracked Walls

Did you know that there are several types of cracked walls that can appeared? The types of cracks are divided based on the shape and direction of the crack as shown below:

Vertical Cracks

As the name implies, these cracks are usually vertical or extend from top to bottom. Vertical cracks are usually caused by using materials that are too stiff or not hollow enough. Usually, mixes that use too much cement will have fine vertical cracks in the wall.

Horizontal Cracks

Horizontal cracks usually occur due to shifting soil or building foundations. This type is arguably one of the most dangerous. That’s because horizontal cracks can cause walls to shift and tilt. If left unchecked, a small earthquake can easily collapse a building with horizontal cracks.

Diagonal Cracks

Diagonal cracks are a combination of the two. Fortunately, this kind of crack is quite rare. Usually, this type of crack occurs in the walls of a house due to careless workmanship. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about diagonal cracks.

How to Fix a Cracked Wall

If the walls in your house have cracks, then you can try easy steps as quoted from Bob Vila to overcome the cracked walls as below:

1. The first step you have to do is prepare wall-filler and also paint according to the color of the walls of your house. Wall-filler can be found in many building material stores at a relatively affordable price.
2. If so, then the next step is to apply wall-filler to the cracked wall. It should be noted that some types of wall-filler require additional tools in the form of shots. You can try to find some types of fillers that can be directly applied without using additional tools at all.
3. After the crack is completely covered with wall-filler, leave it for a while until it dries completely.
4. After it dries, paint it using wall paint that has been prepared beforehand so that the wall can look new again without any cracks.

How to Repair a Cracked Wall

If the cracks on the walls of your house are too severe or deep, then the method of overcoming cracks using wall-filler is no longer effective. One of the best materials you can use to repair a badly cracked wall is a mixture of cement and sand. For more details, follow the tips and steps below:

1. The first step is to smooth the cracked part of the wall. Since the cracks tend to be large and deep, it is a good idea to clean the dust inside the cracks.
2. The second step is to make a mixture of cement and sand in a ratio of 5:1. That way, the mixture will easily stick together.
3. Once the mixture is ready, apply the mixture directly to the cracked wall. Make sure that the mixture enters the crack to the deepest part. Otherwise, the inner part will create another crack in the wall of your house.
4. After it dries, you can apply putty paint on the surface of the wall that was cracked. The main function of putty paint in overcoming cracked walls is to flatten and smooth the surface of the wall. So, the walls of your house will look like new.
5. After everything is done, you only need to repaint according to the color you want. That way, the process of repairing cracked walls is complete. This process can also be done by yourself without having to call a handyman.

That’s the explanation of the causes of cracked walls, how to overcome minor cracks and repair cracks that are too severe. Make sure to always be careful when repairing the wall to avoid further damage.