Here’s Why Your Minnesota House Cracks and Pops at Night
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It’s Minnesota, it’s winter, and it’s cold. Winter here brings its share of challenges—frozen pipes, broken furnaces, and even things exploding in people’s cars.
A listener named Erica, who just moved here from Georgia, is getting her first taste of winter and called this morning because she's been hearing some strange popping and cracking sounds in her house.
My house makes the same sounds and they are loud! For me, it sounds like it's coming from my deck. Sometimes it’s a single pop, other times it’s a series of pops every few minutes.
Why Your Minnesota House Cracks and Pops at Night
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According to Norbert Delatte, a professor at Cleveland State University, these noises intensify as temperatures drop.
He told Cleveland.com that building materials, including wood, concrete, and steel, expand with heat and contract with cold. In winter, the house foundation clashes with the contracting exterior which results in loud cracks and pops.
"The foundation of a house stays at a more normal temperature where the outside of the house is trying to shrink against it, so whatever connections there are between the foundation and home, they would be making some noise."
Should Minnesotans Worry About The Sounds Their House Is Making?
Luckily, these sounds aren’t a sign that your house is falling apart. Experts say there's no need to worry. These winter noises are normal, and unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to stop them.
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Gallery Credit: Troy Dunken
