Phoenix Business
Group "Cosmetic" CracksSeveral engineering reports offer the general opinion that fine cracks due to the earthquake are "cosmetic in nature". This generalization may mislead adjusters, contractors and homeowners into believing that the cracks have no structural significance and may therefore be inexpensively patched without risk. Cosmetic cracks occur in members which have no structural purpose, but serve solely an architectural purpose. Dry wall or plaster behind a stucco wall is a cosmetic member. Cracks in dry wall may rightfully be termed "cosmetic cracks", where stucco capable of resisting lateral forces is present in the same wall. Similarly, stucco cracks in front of shear paneling may rightfully be termed "cosmetic" cracks since the UBC only allows credit for the strongest material in the wall (plywood) and does not allow strengths of other weaker materials (in this case, stucco) to be added to increase wall strength. However, when there is no shear paneling present, only the stucco is available to resist lateral forces. In this case, the stucco becomes a structural member which must resist lateral force. If this stucco is cracked, what remains to resist the lateral force? The answer is that nothing remains to resist lateral force. Patching of the cracks with spackle or other effective patching materials will not provide a structural repair. Most materials used for cosmetic patching are not even tested for shear strength because the manufacturers do not want to imply that they are structural materials. In light of this discussion, we believe that use of the term "cosmetic cracks" should be limited to cracks which are found in cosmetic members. Fine cracks in stucco, or in a foundation wall should be referred to as fine structural cracks, not "cosmetic cracks". A simple example will suffice. If one were on an airplane and the captain were to announce on the public address system that the tray tables had been found to have cosmetic cracks, few passengers would panic. Should the captain announce that "cosmetic cracks" had also been found in the airplane's wing structure we believe the passengers' response would be very different. Back to the Home page. [ Real Property ]
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