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Cracks Above Door Frame [All Reasons and Solutions]

If you’ve noticed the cracks above door frame of your house, we know it can be frustrating for you. No one wants their precious house scared.

However, that’s why we’re here today. We promise to put an end to your suffering. For that, you’ll need to go through this guide we made for you.

You might be wondering what you’ll get from us today. Well, we’ll inform you about the causes and what you can do about it

So, let’s cut to the chase and get you started.

Reasons for the Cracks

It doesn’t really matter if your door set is new or old, cracks above them are quite more common than you think. No matter if you’ve sealed properly or not, they are likely to happen every now and then. 

Moreover, there are many reasons for the cracks. So, we’ll go through all of them sequentially today for you.

Construction Faults

Cracks Above Door Frame [All Reasons and Solutions] 1

There’re a few cracks that are mild construction faults and can be fixed properly if you take action quickly. Remember, they are mild, not negligible.

Let’s dive in!

  1. Recently Built House

Green lumber. You probably know it as new lumber. 

You see, this new lumber contains a high level of moisture. Because of that, there’s a chance that it’ll move when it dries out. 

Well, it might be the cause of small wall cracks above the door frame in your newly built home. However, you should wait a year after you complete it and then do the repair. This gives the place time to dry before repair.

After the area of the crack is adequately dried, you can re-tape the cracked joints. 

  1. Due to Settling 

Here’s the thing. 

The weakest area of the wall is most likely to crack because your house moves and shifts subtly over time.

You see, your wall is most likely constructed with vertical studs that extend from floor to ceiling. However, when you’re installing your door, those studs must be cut. 

Even though there’s extra framing, those areas are still weaker than the rest of the wall. Later on, you’ll notice hairline cracks.

However, there’s good news for you. 

You see, your hairline cracks don’t indicate a structural problem. Moreover, you can just simply re-tape and paint them.

Soil Faults

Let’s go in-depth with our problems, shall we?

So, the soil can be a cause of your cracks above the door frame too. How do you ask? Well, you see, the soil is the base of your house. 

Think of it as a language. If you have a problem with learning the base topics, will you be able to learn the whole language? Exactly, you won’t.

Your house is standing on your soil which is your base. Any damage or problem to it would take the whole house down.

  1. Dry And Shrinking Soil

In dry weather, the soil around your house might begin to dry, especially if your soil is clay soil. 

Because when they dry, they create a void between the structure of your house and the soil. In that case, your foundation settles as well, frequently resulting in structural damage.

  1. Ineffectively Compacted Fill Soil

Builders often use soil from another location to fill hollow areas when leveling your home’s foundation.

In that case, the soil can be lighter and looser than the dense, hard-packed soils you already have. Your builders might often compact the fill soil thoroughly before placing the foundation.

You might ask why you need it done. Well, if your soil compaction isn’t done, your house’s weight might cause the soil to compress, which might also lead to foundation settlement issues.

Water Faults

Yes, there’s a possibility that water might damage your home’s foundations due to the cracks above your door frame.

Clay soils contact water, and they retain it. Well, if your soil is clay soil, it’ll get soft. And your soft soil doesn’t bear loads that well.  

Also, if water is stuck around the house due to poor drainage, your soil might absorb that water and become soft. And it’s bad news for your house. 

Serious Faults

Now, the question is, how’ll you know when it’s a severe crack?

Well, first open and close your door and check if the door sticks or not. If your door sticks without any irritating object, it might signify moderate to severe foundation change. 

Your sticky doors might indicate that the frame of the door is twisted. A shifting house can cause that. 

Also, if you notice a gap at the top of the door and see the light shining through, that might also be a severe settlement problem. 

Repairing the Cracks 

If you want to know about the best way to repair any crack, it’s re-taping the joint. Let’s clear it out for you.

Re-taping the joint involves scraping away the loose tape and crumbled bits of drywall mud. Also, you’ll have to sand the surface smoothly, fill the crack with drywall compound, and apply new tape.

Yet, if you want a smooth wall, here’s a trick. Apply two to three thin coats of drywall compound over the tape. Then, sand each coat after it dries. You can use medium-grit sandpaper to do so.

Also, for better results, you should consider using fiberglass tape.

Nevertheless, if you use spackle to fill the cracks, we wouldn’t recommend that. Because spackle won’t provide you with the same results, you’ll get by re-taping. 

You see, a spackle doesn’t have enough strength to hold the surface for a long time. So, for long-lasting repairs, you should think again. 

Conclusion

Without knowing a cause, you can’t do the cure. Now, you’ll have first to see what’s causing the cracks above your door frame so that you can cure it.

If you’ve followed us this long, then by now, you should know all about your door cracks. Hopefully, you also know how you can fix the situation.

A word of advice, if there’s a serious fault, you should consider calling a professional to take care of it. You wouldn’t want damage to your house or to yourself in the future.

Also, it would be best if you took proper guidance before you build your house to prevent all the cracks on your walls. Prevention is better than cure.