Jurisdiction: Applies to homes in the City of Del Mar and to Carmel Valley and Del Mar Heights (City of San Diego). Repairs are permitted by the city in which the home sits.
This page brings together foundation cracks, cracks in stucco and interior walls, and the doors and windows that begin to stick, because they are usually different views of the same question.
Where the house is matters
- Village cottages. About three quarters of homes in the City of Del Mar predate 1980, and many older ones have plaster that has cracked and been patched for decades. Pattern and change matter more than the number of cracks.
- Hillside homes in the North and South Hills and Del Mar Heights. Cracks that widen toward the downhill side deserve attention. See bluff and hillside homes.
- North Beach. Century-old houses and later additions can crack where old construction meets new.
- Carmel Valley. Younger homes on slabs; cracks in tile and garage slabs are common, and most are shrinkage.
Foundation cracks
Usually routine: vertical hairlines in stem walls or slab edges; surface map-cracking on slabs; old cracks that have not changed.
Worth a closer look: any crack with one side offset; cracks wider at one end; diagonal cracks from corners; stepped cracks in block; horizontal cracks in walls that retain soil; cracks with rust staining, common near the beach. See salt-air concrete corrosion.
Plaster, drywall, and the outside skin
Inside, seams in drywall, popped nails, short cracks at the corner of a door frame that never change, and the fine crazing of old plaster are part of living in a house. What earns attention is a diagonal line climbing from an opening and lengthening month by month, a crack that reappears after it was patched, or a gap opening where wall meets ceiling or floor.
Outside, random hairlines are ordinary. A long horizontal or stair-stepped crack is not, particularly when it lines up with a crack in the concrete beneath. Near the ocean, it is sensible to seal even the ordinary ones, since water behind the finish is hard on lath and framing.
When a door starts to bind
Swollen wood, layers of paint, and tired hinges explain most of it. Movement becomes the likelier story when the rub is at the upper corner on the latch side while the opposite corner gap opens, when the same frame has cracks running off it at an angle, when several openings along one wall change together, or when the floor in front of the door has begun to slope. See sloping floors.
A simple record
- Photograph each crack with a date and a coin or ruler for scale.
- Pencil a short line at each end.
- Note which doors and windows bind.
- Recheck in a month, after heavy rain, and after any felt earthquake.
If you’re away for long periods, we can keep this record for you. See second-home structural monitoring.
When a visit is warranted
- Offset across a crack.
- Widening or lengthening over time.
- Water coming through.
- Rust staining.
- Companion signs: binding doors, sloping floors, separations.
- A purchase or sale where a report has mentioned it.
- New cracking in a bluff-top or hillside home.
What a visit involves
Cracks are plotted room by room, floor elevations are surveyed, water around the house is checked, and the crawl space is entered where there is one. Much cracking turns out to be ordinary. Where it is not, the cause is traced before options are discussed, and we coordinate with licensed engineers as needed. See foundation inspection and foundation crack repair.
Owner questions
What does a stair-step crack in a block wall indicate?
A crack stepping through the mortar joints usually reflects differential movement, with one end of the wall settling or rotating relative to the other. We check the footing and the ground at the low end.
A crack appeared after construction next door. What should we do?
Photograph it with the date, note when the neighboring work began, and keep any pre-construction survey you were given. We can record the crack’s present condition, which is useful whether or not the two prove related.
Do horizontal cracks mean something different from vertical ones?
Often, yes. A horizontal crack in a foundation or retaining wall can indicate soil pressure pushing the wall inward, while vertical cracks are more commonly shrinkage or settlement. Horizontal cracking with any bowing warrants prompt attention.
What does white powder on the foundation mean?
The residue, called efflorescence, is salt left behind as water moves through concrete or masonry and evaporates. It is not structural in itself, but it shows where moisture is getting in, which is worth tracing.
Arrange a Free Quote
Send a few photographs and the address. We’ll arrange a visit at your convenience.