If you just fix the cracks, use a flexible compound. Rigid plaster will just crack again. Remember that your house expands and contracts every day based on the inside and outside temperatures, like a balloon. It also rises and falls in and out of the ground anywhere from ¼ to ½ inch each day, because the ground remains cooler than the expanding building. Building designers with a knowledge of engineering understand this, and plan for it using various techniques hidden in the construction joining materials. So build compacted earth around the post, slope the yard away from the house and use larger gutters and downspouts in the area. Good luck!

©2014 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.