Half-inch Gap between wall and floor in second floor bedroom

Question

I moved a bookcase today was surprised when I looked at the wall. There was a 1/2" gap between the wall and the floor (see photos). The bookcase was not heavy, only used to hold kids games. It was against an inside wall. In one direction, the gap extends a few feet into the room and then the wall and the floor meet as they should. In the other direction, the gap meets an outside wall and makes a 90 degree turn, then disappears in a few feet (see photo).

A window sill in that part of the room seems to have a new crack. I noticed a little cold air at the bottom of the window and then noticed a small crack in the windowsill. The crack seems new (see photos).

What should I think about doing next?

P.S. The paint chips in the photos are unrelated. I removed some old cable TV cables before I took the photos.

Update: Plan now is to take up some floorboards and see what we can see.

Answer 1

I called in a competent contractor and here are his findings. He took up some floorboards next to the gap. There was a gap between the bottom of the sheet rock wall and the floor. He cut through the subflooring in order to be able to look at the joists. The joists were solid. There was no indication of infestation. There was an uninsulated heat duct running between the joists. He went to the basement and checked for termite damage and found none. His conclusion is that the gap between the second floor wall and floor is due to shrinkage of the wood, exacerbated by the heat duct running nearby. He said there was no need to do any work as nothing was really wrong.

BTW, there is also a gap between an interior wall and a poured concrete floor in my foyer, but that is not below the gap on the second floor. The two gaps are independent. The gap between the wall and the poured concrete floor is due to the dirt below the concrete settling. The contractor suggested to leave it be since it is not likely to get worse and the fix would be costly for little benefit.

It is nice to deal with an honest, competent contractor.

Answer 2

Here is a good article:

http://www.sinaiconstruction.net/LA-foundation-retrofit-blog/homeowners-guide-to-floor-leveling/

Reading your answer, I am not convinced shrinkage is the issue. Although repairs may not be necessary, you still want to make sure the integrity of the structure is still there. But given the diagnosis of shrinkage from a heating duct, I am not convinced everything was looked at properly.

Can you post close up pictures of the crack, shining a flashlight on it? So we can see more of the sill if it's lifting or sinking.

If it were me I would get a second opinion; from someone or a company with experience like the one in the article posted.

Answer 3

I am a licensed home inspector. Gaps may appear between molding and flooring due to normal differential settling of the house or due to shrinkage of the hardwood flooring. These are rather common occurrences. For there to be abnormal settling, there has to be other clues such as cracks on the walls, ceilings, or foundation. Joists and the summer beam should also be checked to find out of there are any abnormalities such as joists that are not properly bracketed or beams are sagging. Most of the time, normal settlement is the main culprit and the only thing that need to be done is to place shoe molding to cover the gaps.