HAUNTED HOUSE? 3

[structurebeton]

I have client describe the following happening at her house:

"I have the most disturbing noises inside the walls, it sounds like things are falling not just settling noises, bought the home 1.5 years ago after 5 months I heard strong noises and some are settling but these noises are out of the ordinary. Have had it thouroughly checked for rodents etc. Now I was told that it could be structural problems, insurance structural engineer was inconclusive so now I want my own engineer. I have a scratching behind the headboards in all then like something is falling.and knocking all the time."

The house was built in 2003, and is on slab on grade. Can anyone tell what should I look for to determine the cause of noises?

 

[JAE]

And I'd do what Ron suggests. That boroscope thingy.

 

[kslee1000]

Expose the wall covering at the suspected noisy location and observe. Plumbing, HVAC ducts/penetrations, and falling martar (I hear all the time in my basement), or maybe a live animal (one family found a cat inside a newly bought couch after the wife cried "someone touches my butt"), all could be the suspect.

 

[structurebeton]

I inspected the house, and it appears the noises are because the builder used foam insulation panels instead of OSB in most of the wall. Only corners have real OSB sheathing.

The house is 2 stories, so slight wind can produce movement, which in turn produces the noise because of the reduce lateral strength...

Based on the picture, can you confirm if this is foam insulation? or is it structural insulated panels?

Can anyone say if this is allowed by code?

 

[kslee1000]

Dosn't that most foam board came with pink or blue color? I don't see code issue unless required by fire prevention concerns.

 

[racookpe1978]

Seems like there's a aluminum foil covered-layer on the right (with the "Energy Star logo), a foam layer (maybe 1/2"' thick) then (maybe) a OSB layer also 1/2" thick, then (maybe) a 2x4.

Picture is blurry, I'm guessing about the 2x4.

If you blew instant-setting foam into the cavity, wouldn't it tend to "anchor" the foam boards in the middle of their spans and prevent them from "popping" so loudly?

I can't think of any ways of changing the end points of the foam boards - that are now wedged on place/anchored so they would "slide" easier.

----

(Is that refrigerator listed above still threatened with thermal overload? We may need to remove and empty some more aluminum cylindrical storage pressure vessels from the interior before they get warm (er, become thermally unstable) and increase internal pressure excessively. (Only in the interests of safety, of course.)

 

[structurebeton]

There is no OSB, there is only a 2x4 at the top as "rim" band at the top of the wall.

Basically, the builder used insulation boards INSTEAD of OSB sheathing.

OSB sheathing was only used at the corners of the house. Homeowner reported "scratching noises" inside walls, and near corners of bedrooms she reported hearing louder impact noises, like something is falling.

So, the OSB panels release energy as the house moves causing the loud noises.

I am attaching a picture showing how the house may have been built (But not related to our case)

 

[Ron]

The photo shows fiberboard sheathing and OSB. The fiberboard may be structural or non-structural. You will have to remove some exterior siding to confirm.

Check the brand of the material. Sometimes lesser known manufacturers will tag onto existing approved products. Check the building code approval documents or the Evaluation Report to get code "approval". It gives very specific installation instructions and they must be followed for code approval in each application.

Your photo is not clear, but it looks like you have a radiant barrier insulation board that was inset between the studs. It is likely separate from the sheathing, whatever that may be besides OSB. My guess is that it is a fiberboard sheathing as shown in your second photo.

If you are in a reasonable wind area, you will get movement that can cause all sorts of noises; however,those should not occur at other times. Check for thermal variations as these will occur at various times during the day.

To solve the problem, it would be better to use some instrumentation to record movement, whether thermal or other. Couple that with some destructive observation and the solution will probably be apparent.

Note that foam insulations can be noisy when they get moved, particularly if tightly confined. Your insulation board looks like polyisocyanurate, but could be extruded polystyrene. It is not expanded polystyrene, as the cut edge is too clean.

 

[youngstructural]

StructuralBeton: Is that StructuralBéton? Just curious...

I've never heard of this problem before, but I am not too surprised. It is similar to a very famous commercial problem which I have encountered, known as "banging bolts". Incorrect bolt installation, or poor specification on the part of the engineer, causes bolts to be insufficiently tight. In effect the beams have a semi-stiff connection, with the tension of the bolt not engaging sufficient friction to hold the beams, which then slip and "bang" at the bottom of their run.

I will be keeping an eye on the thread: Good luck, and keep us up to date!

Cheers,

YS

B.Eng (Carleton)
Working in New Zealand, thinking of my snow covered home...

 

[roncity]

Not enough info to suggest a solution …but answers to these questions may help clarify the problem.

1. Can the resident keep a diary of time & location?
Specifically, when does the noise occur? (Weekends? nights? temperature changes? moisture changes?)
House is 6 years old. When did the noise start? ( Feb 08? ) Was there a hard freeze or hail storm in Feb 08?
Did the owner install anything else at that time? ( security system ? irrigation? Change water heater/ dryer / ac / cable TV? )

When is the house quiet ?

2. Where specifically are the noises occurring? Lower story outside walls? Walls that have brick exterior? Walls that have plumbing or electric conduit?
Any places where noises have never occurred? ( inside walls? Garage wall ? )

3. Is the “scratching and …falling”: noise re-occurring at the same spot? Or different spot each time?

4. Take a mechanic’s stereoscope and listen to the walls. ( or put an ear next to each wall and door Are there other noises occurring?

5. Any trees overhanging the house or brushing against the wall?

 

[enginerding]

There is nothing wrong with having sheathing other than OSB as long as the OSB is used at the corners and every 25' per the IRC. There are some other requirements for this as well, but this is allowed by IRC. It's more energy efficient to use the insulation board instead of the OSB where permissible. In today's society where green rules, this is a plus.