Opinion ID: 1662199
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: cracks in walls

Text: Several months after the project was finished, plaintiff noticed cracks in the drywall directly under the beams which were a part of the redesigned loft support system. They ran from the ridge beam to the floor of the loft, then underneath the loft, then directly down to the bottom of the drywall. The cracks were described at first as hairline but widening gradually to over a quarter of an inch, but thereafter fluctuating in width. The engineer described the cracks as being above the point where the support beam reaches the east and west walls. When asked on cross-examination what was causing the cracking in the Sheetrock, he answered, Well, speculate that temperature and humidity are combining to increase the dimensions of the ceiling over that area to the point that it pulls the sheet rock joints apart and the joints instead of being a straight up and down joint below the massive beam that goes like this, and that's what the crack does, it follows that. The trial court found that while there does appear to be a problem with cracks in the dry wall installed, there is no evidence to establish that those cracks are as a result of the Defendant's failure to do his work in a workmanlike manner. The fault could just as well be laid to a change in the design of the structure. The trial court's findings are not only permissible under the evidence, but are the only ones permitted. There was no evidence whatsoever that the cracks resulted from poor workmanship by defendant or that he failed to follow the requirements of the contract. Plaintiff did not want vertical support columns for the loft as originally planned by defendant. His engineer redesigned the horizontal beam to obtain the necessary support. If the cracks resulted from the beam design, such design was plaintiff's, not defendant's. The engineer's opinion of the cause of the cracking will not permit the conclusion that it resulted from any improper work of the defendant.