Ever been alone in your home and heard creaking or banging noises that made you feel like a character in a horror film? You're not alone. Believe it or not, creepy sounds are normal and come with the territory of owning a home.
Egypt Sherrod, host and real estate expert on HGTV’s "Flipping Virgins" and "Property Virgins," notes that there are 5 main reasons your home may be sounding off.
First, your pipes may be rattling because of various plumbing reasons. The water pressure could be too high, there might be air trapped in the plumbing or the pipes themselves are not properly secured. Sherrod says that noises coming from the pipes may be more intense in older houses where pipes are made of heavy metal.
If you're hearing more creaking and less clanging, your home might be settling. "When a home is newly built, its foundation must settle into the earth," she says. "Its joints, walls, baseboards, moldings, tiles and roof are all finding their 'comfort zone.'"
If your home is settling, you might also encounter a few cracks in corners and on the walls. Sherrod says that this is all standard behavior. "Depending upon the soil and plot of land, it can take a home years to fully settle," she says. "But most of the visual aspects of settlement tend to show within the first 2-3 years."
Other less startling noises like buzzing or humming could be your appliances turning on and off. One-off creaking sounds may also be your floorboards expanding and contracting due to temperature changes. These sounds are nothing to worry about.
Scurrying sounds, on the other hand, could mean you have mice in your attic or walls. You should definitely get those noises checked out by a pest control professional.
In general, noises are not signs of anything negative, Sherrod explains. "After a while, many of the noises become familiar. Sounds from the dishwasher, refrigerator ice makers, washers and dryers, the heat or air kicking on -- all start to blend into the melody of the home."
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