Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 5/24/2010

Question
QUESTION: hello,
I am not sure if this is your area of expertise but we are having another issue with our house and I was wondering if you might be able to help me with this one.
I started noticing the (wall) studs bulging thru the drywall in many of the rooms upstairs, down stairs and along the stair case. You not only can see them, but you can feel a small bulge also. Most of them are vertical, but the ones in the stair case are vertical and horizontal.
Any idea what causes this and how to repair them?
Thanks

Caryn

ANSWER: Hi caryn, the more you write the more I have a feeling that your contractor used a very cheap form of wood for the framework of your house. It is either hemlock, a poor quality of fir, or the wood was extremely wet when the house was built and as it dried it warped out of shape.  Wall studs can be repaired the same as floor joists.  The offending stud is cut, straightened and then reinforced.  I hope this information helps, feel free to write again regarding this or other matter, sincerely bruce e johnson.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello,

Thanks again for your quick response. You are probably right. We had a sinkhole a few years back and it was fixed by grouting. I thought that maybe the damage to the floors and walls were being caused by more foundation movement, but we were told that the floors were probably intentionally sloped when the house was built (back room, 25ft x 11 ft,  slopes 2.2. inch toward the interior of the house) and that the walls wouldnt bow like this due to the foundation sinking. Sound right?

Thanks again for your expertise.

Caryn

Answer
Hi again Caryn, If you had sinkhole problems before then I would also look at that as a potential cause for your problems.  A settling foundation wall will cause floors to bulge if the piers in the middle of the floor aren't sinking also.  The same with stud walls, settling foundations can cause the walls to shift and exert pressure on certain studs that refuse to shift with the rest.  You might have more going on here than originally thought.  As for the room floor intentionally sloping?  Unless it is an outside porch that was enclosed and turned into living area, the floor would not be intentionally sloped and if it was an outside room that was enclosed?  The floor would be sloping away from the interior of the house.  I have a bad feeling that you need to consult a geotechnical engineer again regarding that pesky sinkhole.  I hope this information helps, feel free to write again regarding this or other matter, sincerely bruce e johnson.