By: Monte Leeper
Q.
I read your column faithfully and relate to many of the problems, but now I have an unusual one. I think my house is haunted. It creaks, especially at night. Doors open and close, and there is a roaring sound almost like clockwork every twenty minutes. I have lived in the house for two years, and although it seemed strange at first, I thought I would get used to it. I haven't. But I read your column where you wrote about the house moving all the time and I thought maybe you could help me.
A.
Or, by following some simple steps, you can rid yourself of some of the problems, or at least grow to understand them better. Now, I am not saying I don't believe in ghosts, but houses are organisms, just like our bodies, with breathing problems, fluids circulating, bones creaking, temperature fluctuations, and going bald in a strong wind. Doors will creak and swing in the night when the hinges are not lubricated (spray the hinges) and when the wind blows (close the windows or seal any outlets or openings).
Believe it or not, in a home that is sealed too tight, you will notice changes in pressure when the door is opened and closed. Sometimes a door is not hung completely vertically, causing it to "fall" in a particular direction.
The movements in the house can be the result of uneven settling at night caused by contractions as the house cools down from a long day in the hot sun. Think of your home as a balloon. As it heats up, the outside materials expand, the air in the walls heats up and the air inside absorbs the heat. The same thing happens in the winter with cool air. So your home puffs in and out, like a lung. The problem is that your home doesn't stretch, it creaks.
The roaring every twenty minutes can be caused by the air movement through an air-conditioning or heat duct, or some other source of air movement, such as an attic fan, which, by the way, also contributes to pressure changes that can move the doors and cause the walls to expand and contract. If the air ducts were not designed for the velocity of air blowing through, they will roar and even make pounding sounds. If the hot water pipes are not kept away from the wood structure in the house, they will cause a loud banging sound as the pipes instantly expand and contract to deliver hot water to heaters around the house.
People have reported unusual problems with their homes, some of which have been thought to be supernatural and unsolvable. Some of them may be so unusual as to be unexplainable, but it would pay to try to adjust the more solvable issues before going off the deep end or running down the middle of the road screaming hysterically in the middle of the night. If you do, you are liable to scare someone, starting a chain reaction of hysteria. Remain calm, and good luck.
Readers are encouraged to send questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559
Attn: Monte Leeper, Architect.
