One more house question

[Hawaii Hiker]

Thanks to all who replied to my inquiry the other day RE: wallpapering in a townhome...

Again, sometime soon, I'm going to sell my mom's townhome (she died 4 yrs ago)....I noticed something that may/may not be anything....The walls going up the stairs appear almost crooked in parts....I didn't notice anything odd outside, as it is an end unit, with the bricks, etc....

Do any of you have crooked walls in your homes, townhomes?....I would think wall movement could only occur if there is a severe impact to your property, or if there is a true foundation issue.....If there is a foundation issue, i would certainly think that would be the responsibility of the association that manages the property....

[Arugula Latte]

1. I know from watching "HGTV" shows that a lot of old houses have crooked walls and floors.

Stuff shifts around ... It's pretty common.

[Dont call me Shirley]

2. Houses are not built in true square, even a brand new house is not in square.

Put pictures or some kind of distraction going up the stairway wall to detract from wall out of square.

[pipi_k]

3. The main part of my house was

built in the 1960s by a guy who used to work for the railroad. He used some really sturdy railroad wood. The walls on the main part of the house (which we added to in 1999) are 18 inches thick in spots.

But...some of them are crooked.

And some of the newer construction has settled and cracked, like the concrete retaining wall along the new basement addition, and the raised ceiling in the main bathroom.

Houses settle, and the walls get crooked.