Is this truss uplift or a drywall issue?

Hi,

I am not sure if this is a drywall issue or if this is happening because of a truss uplift? I am assuming it is not a structural problem. Anyone ever seen this before? This home is in Edmonton which is one of the coldest cities you can live in.

Looks like truss uplift to me. How old is the house?

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It could be truss uplift, or the main carrying beam settling?

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not enough information to make a call from ohio…

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Warm inside wall?

Hard to say from what’s given but I also lean uplift or other problem. Btw… what’s a “drywall issue?” Assuming you mean just cosmetic or shrinkage crack? The drywall itself is VERY rarely the issue but the symptom. Age of the house would be a huge help.

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  1. So, defiantly on the newer side.

Itss built in 2012. Sorry, I was not very clear with the drywall issue. I meant like is it just a bad taping job where the ceiling and wall meet?

2012 is newish but still 12 years. This is one of those times where history would be so valuable but as HIs we just don’t have that luxury. Mainly, has it just been like this since new and no one has bothered to do anything or look into it? Or, did this just pop up?

I’d probably write it up as, “larger than typical shrinkage or settlement cracks which can be indicative of a structural issue.” Things like this are nothing to play around with given the potential downside.

At the end of the day we’re there to determine if things are performing in a “normal” manner (SOPs all say something about this). So, when you can point to cracking that is outside of normal it’s an easy call.

My company had this come up on a foundation and the whole thing spun into a big lawsuit (we won, btw). The whole issue of what is considered normal cracks was a huge point and it really changed the way I had my company report moving forward. It sucks because there can be decent-sized cracks in a foundation that I’m virtually certain are never going to be a problem but a visit from the friendly predatory foundation contractor and Joe Homebuyer is filing a million dollar lawsuit against me (yep, it was 7-figures for a $400,000 house… I never did understand that).

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Did Joe sue the predatory contractor for lying to him and costing him thousands in legal fees?
I have never been sued, but I know full well, that is more luck than skill. Two local inspector buddies and an investor friend were sued by professional sue’rs, who went around buying houses and then suing everyone involved. The lawsuits failed mostly because they had dipped into the lawsuit well too often. But it shows how risky this biz is, even if you are doing everything right.

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IMO, considering the vast amount of caulking that is in place, and the fact it has failed to remain sealed, it seems to be a recurring issue, thus likely to be Truss uplift related vs “shrinkage”.


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Truss Up Lift. A Cause or Concern?


Robert Young

[

Robert Young

](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmi-home-inspector/)

Certified Master Inspector

February 22, 2018

Simply explained, Truss uplift occurs when the upper chord of a roof truss elongates, thus bowing the lower cord. The visual effect of truss uplift. The walls in the center of a home remain in-place while the section of the ceiling below the attic slightly rise leaving a gap.
The cause of Truss Uplift, a mixture of elements. Temperature and (RH) Relative Humidity in the attic. Lower attic truss chords are buried beneath a blanket of insulation allowing them to remain warm and dry. Exposed truss chords absorb ambient RH/water vapor, and relate to the surrounding temperature. Under the right conditions of Temperature & (RH) water vapor, the upper chord of the attic roof truss elongates, thus drawing a lower chord upwards bowing the chord as it elongates. The result. A detachment of the ceiling a lower chord rests upon.

Concern? While the appearances of truss uplift may resemble a major defect, this is simply not the cause or concern. While the true cause of this anomaly has not had a wide analysis among leading experts, the consensus is fairly consistent. Truss uplift is primarily a cosmetic issue.

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Nope… I think they were buddies by the end of it.

During my run with my multi-inspector company I oversaw somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K inspections and we had two actual lawsuits (circuit court, etc.) Several other disgruntled clients actually read their contracts and came at me through the dispute resolution provided by the contractor’s board that licenses HIs in Oregon. Yeah, it’s a numbers game for sure. Also, mistakes will happen and with the wild swings in volume inherent to housing there were times I had inspectors in situations they probably weren’t fully prepared for. Although some of the biggest misses I can remember over the years the people were actually pretty understanding. It’s the nuts we really have to watch out for… I wish we could do more pre-screening before working for someone :slight_smile:

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Ain’t that the truth.

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What’s stopping ya’?

Morning, Jeffrey.
Hope to find you well,and in good sprits this morning. I concur with your Every professial comalimity,
(TIME)
1: To preform a 'comprehensive survey of the condition of a dwelling place.comditions and Specialized equipment used, a complete comprehensive surveys of the conditions of the dwelling, the lot arrangement and hardscaping structures.

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While some small homes & condominiums can be inspected in 1.5 to 3 hours, older, larger homes take more time averaging anywhere from 4 or 5 hours.
Manors and estates are another topic altogether. Typically, the buyers are seasoned and not as concerned about costs. They want the best.
Cut Rates Cost of a Home Inspection usually / typically indicates 2 or even 3 home inspections are performed in one day. They are not average. Unfortunately, they can be typical.
A Thorough Home Inspection, including the report, can take 8 to 10+ hours to complete from the beginning to end, when the report is completed and published. Cut Rate Home Inspections on the other hand are condensed, with each total amount of time from beginning to end being roughly 2 to 2.5 hours, including a delivered published home inspection report.
Now, I have been told by a Montreal Real Estate Agent some time back, Robert, there is a well-known Montreal Condo Inspector in the industry, his reference, not mine. The inspector takes 20 minutes to inspect a 1-bedroom condominium.
My reply was simple. Ask him or her to call me. I am always willing to learn.

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