I got a call yesterday from a past client (a year ago) who is complaining about occasional popping or banging in the walls of the house. He says it does not seem to correspond to heating and cooling as it sometimes occurs at 5 am, before the sun is up. I questioned him about water hammer and drain pipes, he said it occurs when no plumbing is in use and he does not think there is plumbing in the wall. The home is stucco with few or no exterior cracks and no interior drywall cracks, so major expansion and contraction doesn't seem likely. No evidence of any foundation movement. He says it is loud enough to wake him up. Before I go over next week, any ideas other than ghostbusters?

Critters,

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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Me!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

Expansion or contraction of framing members. Tension builds until it is able to slip and "pop" it releases the tension. I have one in the ceiling / attic above my bedroom that pops on occasion when there is a gusty breeze or just the sun coming up and rapidly heats the decking after a cool night.

Short of rebuilding, I don't know how you would track it down or fix it.

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Jim Luttrall
Mr. Inspector.net, Inc.
Allen, Texas 75002

Check for plumbing vent pipes in the walls around the noisy area. See if they have rubber expansion couplings visible in the basement. I have heard noise when running hot water and the drain/vent started to expand in length and rub at the floor or wall transition. Cutting the pipe and installing the rubber couplings stopped the noise as the coupling absorbed the expansion.
It does not have to be hot water related. It could be the framing contracting before the next days warm up and expansion. Have you ever seen plumbing vent pipes on the roof where the exposed painted portion has pushed up above the boot exposing unpainted pipe. This is likely related to exapnsion and contractin of framing and/or pipes.

If you have an Infrared Camera that hay help at looking around.

Some odd things can live in the walls. I have had gophers come up from cut outs in concrete slab floor under showers and bathtubs plumbing and fitchen.

I shot these IR PHOTOS about 2 weeks. Bees in the walls.

Best

Ron

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I have heard some noisy water heaters, typically gas, that make the sound you are describing. The noise would only occur when the water heater is fired, which could occur anytime the temp in the tank gets low enough. I have heard this in new tanks, but usually in older tanks that have sediment in the bottom.
Just a thought, Lee

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www.eagleeyeinspectionshome.com

Hi Fritz,

You might want to ask him if he has had wood crown molding installed within the last year, specifically more recently if this just started happening. I have heard on two different occasions with two different homes, that the owners would get a 'cracking' or 'pop' noise occasionaly (during dawn and dusk times); and both instances where the crown molding was nailed to the wall framing and installed 'too tight' (cut a wee bit too long and jammed into the corner mitre cuts), and this resulted in the noise from expansion and contraction early on after the installation, then seemed to go away after time.

Hope this helps,

Steve Lottatore

My thoughts too.

Especially in Arizona where that time frame (5 am) would likely be the 'coolest' with the contraction peeking around then, followed by the next day's expansion due to the heat.

All it takes is one VTR (plumbing vent through the roof) to be rubbing against an undersized or off center hole in the roof sheathing and that pipe is going to be rubbing up and down, squeaking as it goes, with expansion and contraction. The loudest noise may be caused by the pipe, a fitting or coupling, getting 'hung up' on some tight framing, then, after sufficient contraction, the edge of that coupling or fitting 'pops over' the edge of the framing.

Either, or both, could be moving.

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

I get the same thing in my new addition.

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Dave

This was on another IR Site this very cool.

See the pdf file.

Best

Ron

Attached Images

Squirrels in wall cavity.pdf (148.6 KB, 55 views)

Ron,

The infrared camera is great in finding things like that, but ... it is up to the inspector using the infrared camera to know what they are looking at and why what is ... is.

Do you know why those squirrels are in that wall?

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

Because they are acorney

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Dave

Jerry do tell why those squirrels are in that wall?

Best

Ron

Ron,

Let's do it this way.

Why should the squirrels NOT be down in that wall?

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

Well looks like the squirrels are much like you and me.

A place to sleep, keep worm.

Best

Ron

Ron,

... put down the infrared camera ... now back away from that camera ... hands up on the wall ... BOTH hands ...

The infrared camera, which you bring up every time you can, *is only a diagnostic tool* which is intended to help the inspector with their inspection.

It is not a 'show and tell tool' ... 'hey, look, bees in the wall' ... or ... 'hey look, live animals in the wall' ... it is intended to make the inspector go 'WTF? How'd they *get in the wall*?'

That is the question.

I'll check back in the morning (going to bed now) and see if you can figure out "how" (i.e., 'why') the squirrels got in that wall.

Somethings not right, somethings missing, where and what ... that is your mission should you chose to accept it (or anyone else accept it).

Don't treat the infrared camera as though it were an X-ray, it is not (however, even an X-ray would only serve the inspector for diagnostic purposes), treat it only as a "very expensive infrared thermometer which show visually instead of digitally".

I used my infrared camera every day in my inspections, but it was for diagnosis, not 'hey, looke what I found' (although, I cannot downplay that as it *certainly did help my inspection business* - that was the best marketing tool I ever bought - I did not market, period, word of mouth - and that certainly got my clients talking to their friends and neighbors, and *that* was my business). But the infrared camera is 'just a tool', you have to be able to know what to do with the information it is feeding you. Otherwise, it is either worthless or just for 'show and tell'.

I'll check in the morning.

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

There's no fireblocking in the walls is why they are in there.

rick

Jerry love ya man But i think you need some help with your attitude.

Its like every post i see you have this attitude thing. Are you unhappy with life? Or do you just keep getting out of bed on the wrong side?

Play nice. If IR is my thing. Hey its new to me and i like it. I have fun with it and yes it been a good boost in my work. and yes its cool to help people find the spot in the wall that has the problem. I talk about a lot of things not just IR. If i think it fits then i use it thats me.

Now if you don't like me on this site. there are a few things we can do about it.

(1) I can just go away. If Im not Wellcome? Or if im not a help to some one! Or if im boring. Jerry i can live with that!!!

(2) Or you can just blow over any thing you see my name on.

(3) Or You can stop with the B.S. and play nice like a good little boy.
one big sand box.

Your call. Are you going to have a happy day?

Or get pissed off! and stay that all day long!. mad!
about this IR thing? L.O.L.

Thats funny man. Pick one (1), (2) or (3)

Most of us can easily identify bad attitudes when they are displayed outwardly in our words or actions, such a negativeness, criticalness, rebellion, defiance, impatience, uncooperative, apathy, discouragement, independence, presumption, arrogance, self-centeredness, rudeness and such like. These are examples of bad attitudes. However, keep in mind, attitudes are inner dispositions of the heart and thoughts — they are the hidden intentions which will eventually serve as the basis for our actions. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Consequently, attitude is something that only you can work out — a change which must take place inwardly.

Your words will give you away. are they kind or are they?

Best

Ron

Rick,

Absolutely correct.

It does not matter how expensive our toys ... er ... *tools* ... are, if we don't know how to use them or understand what they are telling us, they are only "toys" to be used for "show and tell".

__________________
Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida