After six months in your new house, a nail has popped out of the drywall in the family room.

Don't blame the builder.

The drywall has been is installed over wood, which is an organic material and subject to expansion and contraction. The shrinking and swelling can cause nail pops and cracks as your house dries out. Neither you nor the builder can really do anything about it until these materials dry out completely, in about a year.

These kinds of glitches, while natural and often easily explained, tend to create ill will between builders and buyers that often grows out of proportion to the problems that are being addressed.

This is not to absolve builders of the problems for which they have to answer, or that are covered under warranty, or that are the result of poor work or faulty materials. These are simply things that any homeowner should know and know how to do.

Most builders will readily acknowledge that materials shrinkage is more prevalent than it was 40 years ago because building procedures have changed drastically.

Thanks to vapor barriers, tighter sheathing, insulation, weather stripping and caulking, today's house is almost airtight. That means shrinkage, and the cracks and problems such as uneven flooring that result, is more intense.

What you need to do is try to reduce that intensity. One way is to buy a humidifier, which introduces some moisture to a dry, tight house. Don't overheat the house in the winter, which will dry out a tight house even more. Open the windows periodically, even on cold days.

Here are some other changes which may occur -- and what you can do about them:

• Winter heating can even change the moisture content of the wood, temporarily warping interior slab and bi-fold doors. Wax the tracks of the bi-folds to stop the doors from sticking.

• Use graphite on door locks, not oil that can gum up the works.

• Raised-panel wood doors can shrink or expand at times, revealing unfinished surfaces. It's a maintenance, rather than a warranty, issue.

• Painted walls often vary in color and texture, which is the result of touching up in the finishing process of the house. This is acceptable under warranty, as is color variation of woodwork stains.

• Vinyl floors in high-moisture areas such as bathrooms sometimes show raised nail heads because of joist movement, and although builders use adhesives to keep nails to a minimum, it doesn't always work.

• You can re-drive the nails using a block of wood and a hammer.

• Ridges often appear where a vinyl floor meets the edge of a toilet or bathroom. This is caused by water seeping into adhesive through a seam after installation.

  These areas should be periodically caulked with an acrylic designed for use in bathrooms.

Other problems:

1. Ceramic, marble, slate and quarry tile floors can be damaged by heavy objects. Cracks can develop in the grout, and can be repaired with pre-mixed grout from a home center, which typically come in colors that match.

2. Joints can shrink where the ceramic tile meets the bathtub or shower area. Periodic caulking is required.

3. Carpeting can come loose because of an increase in humidity. Professional cleaning is recommended.

4. When closing faucets, don't twist them as far as they can go. Simply close them enough to stop the flow of water. Closing them too forcefully can cut the washer, resulting in a drip or leak. The homeowner then has to replace the washer.

5. If the furnace isn't working, check the electric switch on or near the furnace. If heat distribution is inadequate, make sure all room registers and dampers are open. Clean the furnace filters monthly, and replace them at the beginning of each heating season.

6. Settling and temperature changes cause cracks in foundation walls, basements and garage floors. These can be easily repaired with caulk or grout.

7. Grass should be watered regularly.

8. Settlement of graded areas around the foundation, sidewalk and other yard areas is normal, and the homeowner should fill or re-grade those areas if necessary.

9. Water standing or ponding for less than 48 hours is considered normal. Drainage swales and sump-pump discharge may remain wetter longer. If there is a drainage problem, the builder isn't usually able to determine that with snow still on the ground, and won't make any repairs while the ground is frozen or saturated.

10. New shrubs and trees start out small, but they do get bigger, so make sure you don't plant them too close to the foundation or patio. Tree roots can easily break concrete and asphalt.

Remember, the permit the builder obtained to construct your house doesn't extend past the day you took possession of it. Any project your undertake, whether finishing the basement or building a deck, may need a permit, so check with the local building department before you start.

Otherwise, the fines could end up costing you more than the project you planned to tackle.

For more articles by Al Heavens, please press here.

Published: September 27, 2001

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Al Heavens writes about real estate and home repair and improvement. He is the author of What No One Ever Tells You About Renovating Your Home: Real-Life Advice For Hassle-free, Cost-Effective Remodeling.

Copyright © 2001 Realty Times^®. All Rights Reserved.