Do drywall cracks pose any risk for further damage?

cafe_carl

I recently discovered a fairly long (~2 foot) crack in my drywall within my home. Aside from the aesthetics, is there any negatives associated with leaving a drywall crack alone for an extended period of time? Of course I will eventually fix it up, but does delaying this fix pose any risk for further damage? Edit: The property is basically brand new. It is a condo that was constructed in 2019. The crack (image attached) is about 2-3 feet long....

Originally asked by Runeaway3 on Stack Exchange (diy) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Assuming your unit is similar to those outside your window. The crack is worthy to keep an eye on. If there is a beam in that bulkhead, there could be a shoddy load support in the wall under it or in the floor below. Is the lower floor(basement)finished? Depends on where you are located, structural defects such as that crack indicates is typically covered under the new home warranty. Structural engineers or Building science engineers will have the expertise to identify if there is reason to escalate the issue.

Full answer by user68386: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/197094 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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