Hearing loud popping or cracking from your walls? Experts say truss uplift is to blame
With fluctuating warm then cold temperatures, homeowners around the city have been hearing loud banging and cracking from their walls and attics.
While the sound may not bring your house down, the owner of First General Property Restoration, specializing in framing and home rebuilds, says the sound is usually the result of truss uplift.
"The reason you're hearing those noises and it's kinda catching people off guard in this cold weather is because moisture migrates into your attic," Moe Barzagar told CTV News Edmonton.
According to Barzagar, attics function best when their temperature is as close to the outdoor temperature as possible. Roof ventilation is designed to enable this. When an attic is not well vented, Barzagar said it can result in moisture accumulation, which can cause a number of problems, including truss lift.
During cold snaps, the bottom chord, which is covered by insulation, remains warm. Chords at the top of a truss are above the insulation and absorb moisture, making them expand.
The combination of events can cause the roof truss to bend and flex, and to disconnect from the interior walls below.
Barzagar said incorrect bathroom venting or even renovations or modifications that cut through vapour barriers to install potlights can create openings for moisture to move into an attic.
The good news is that truss uplift doesn't usually cause major problems, Barzagar said.
More severe cases of truss uplift can put cracks in the paint in walls or drywall. Barzagar recommends checking the edges of an attic for insulation stops, or pieces of cardboard that protect a soffit from getting covered and ensuring airflow.
Richard Amiotte, who has heard the banging for the past few days, says he sympathizes for his more than 50-year-old home.
"(I'm) getting old," Amiotte said, adding his own bones get a little creakier each winter. "I can see how she feels."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.