Thread: Normal "Checking"

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Robert, I think there is a problem, not necessarily with the post, since some splitting is normal (that is a little much in your picture), but the problem appears with the stone. If this is a veneer applied stone as it appears, the top of the stone work should be sloped to drain water away from the post and there should be some cushion (caulk) between the stone and the post to allow for expansion. I would think the should be a building paper wrap around the post.
I can't quote any code on this, but common sense tells me this is not a quality installation.

If the post sits squarely under the beam, I see no reason for the split other than checking. Cedar is bad about that. That's assuming a reasonable load on it. As for the stone, if the post goes all the way to the ground and the stone as placed around it, I suspect that the post has expanded from water absorption. The stone would then be pushed apart due to that. It is cracked down through the mortar joints, after all--the "weak link." If that's the case, the post will rot out pretty quickly since it can't dry out.

It's an early sign of a problem - report it.

As the post cracks, the exterior size of the post increases slightly.

As the post size increases slightly (as Kevin said), and the stone, being rigid and immobile, is pushed outward, cracking the mortar joints or even cracking the stone (assuming that the stone was placed tight to the post and no air gap was left).

As West Coast Jerry said: "It's an early sign of a problem - report it.", if for no other reason than water *is* going to get into the post and rot the post out.

I neglected to mention another possibility--that water has gotten down beside the post, between it and the stone, and frozen. That could cause an expansion and the splitting of the mortar joints. In either case, something is decidedly wrong and needs repair.

Personally, I think this renewed use of stone and synthetic stone on newer homes has lead to a lot of poorly done details that I think are going to come back to bite a lot of homeowners in the butt in just a very few years. Classically trained masons aren't doing the work anymore.

I've seen jobs where you don't even have to look closely to see exposed lathe and even waferboard through the joints of "dry stacked" stone veneer. Wanna bet how long it takes until that rots?

2 layers of 30# felt? Huh? Scratch coat? What are you talkin' about? Why can't I just butter the back of this piece and stick it to the wall?