Loud, Explosion Banging-Like Noise in My House occurs once Every Month — What Could Be Causing This, and Who Should I Contact?

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NglButiLoveTechnolog

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#316213 26-Sep-2024 00:14

Hello all,

So our house, built in 2008, is two stories with drywall, and I was sitting at the dining room countertop on my laptop doing a design project when I heard a very loud banging, almost like a small explosion. It sounded as if it was coming from above the ceiling. At the time, my parents and younger brother were upstairs, and they heard the noise just as loudly. We went to investigate, but the lights, switches, appliances, etc., all seemed fine. Honestly, it was so loud that we both jumped in fright.

This loud banging, like an explosion, has been happening once every month for years now, ever since we moved in 2016. It's now 2024. What could this be? Can anyone recommend who I should contact to help find and solve the problem?

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Smpl Mnmlst
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#3286445 26-Sep-2024 03:49

What time of day was this and what was the weather like at the time? And what type of roof do you have?

We get loud noises coming from our roof and heard through the ceiling. I would describe these pretty much exactly as you have done. In our case it’s the expansion of the long-run corrugated steel roof as it heats up when hot sun suddenly shines on it.

This happens a lot more in summer than in winter. On a cloudy day, if the sun suddenly comes out, the steel expands quickly, mainly lengthwise, and the noise occurs as the metal moves - jolts minutely - between the roof purlins and the tek screws holding it down. When it cools, the steel will contract back again but because it happens more slowly, you aren’t likely to hear it.

This is most noticeable with long-run steel. Roofs made of older-style short sheets don’t get the same amount of cumulative expansion per sheet so you're less likely to hear it. ChatGPT says that a 10m sheet of steel will increase ~1.2mm in length when exposed to a 10° C increase in temp.

If this is what you’re experiencing, it’s normal and natural and nothing to worry about. We often hear this several times a day in summer and it can come from multiple lengths of long-run next to each other. However if yours is happening in the dead of night, that could be an entirely different kettle of fish.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Azzura

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#3286452 26-Sep-2024 06:09

Funny....in our previous house in Canada, I've only heard this happen a couple of times during winter around -35C. It was pretty loud...

Goosey

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#3286454 26-Sep-2024 06:24

As per the previous post to your original message….

Get your roof checked…. Could be some loose nails so that’s providing the movement for the roof (assuming it’s metal of sorts).

Eva888

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#3286457 26-Sep-2024 07:06

Our new roof I believe is our culprit. In certain strong NW winds, on one edge it makes an awful noise like there is a piece of wood loose and it’s banging hard on the tin.

i suspect its the flashing which I had asked to be longer to cover the barge board. I think the wind is making it buckle either between the nails or on top and it’s a very loud bang of the steel popping in and out with the wind.

Make a note of the weather and wind direction at the time and see if it repeats in that wind.

Bung

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#3286464 26-Sep-2024 07:40

NglButiLoveTechnolog: This loud banging, like an explosion, has been happening once every month for years now, ever since we moved in 2016. It's now 2024. What could this be? Can anyone recommend who I should contact to help find and solve the problem?

I don't know anywhere in the country that only gets 1 day every month where conditions would make the roof or walls expand or contract.

I think you'll need dates and times to work out whether it's a scheduled or natural event.

johno1234

2797 posts

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#3286468 26-Sep-2024 07:52

NglButiLoveTechnolog:

Hello all,

So our house, built in 2008, is two stories with drywall, and I was sitting at the dining room countertop on my laptop doing a design project when I heard a very loud banging, almost like a small explosion. It sounded as if it was coming from above the ceiling. At the time, my parents and younger brother were upstairs, and they heard the noise just as loudly. We went to investigate, but the lights, switches, appliances, etc., all seemed fine. Honestly, it was so loud that we both jumped in fright.

This loud banging, like an explosion, has been happening once every month for years now, ever since we moved in 2016. It's now 2024. What could this be? Can anyone recommend who I should contact to help find and solve the problem?

Ghostbusters.

CYaBro

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#3286472 26-Sep-2024 07:59

Our 1930s house does this too, not long after the sun comes up and hits the iron roof.
Just heard it again now.

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Rmani

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#3286497 26-Sep-2024 09:11

Our house built 2015 does this too.

As per the comments above, will start monitoring the weather when it happens.

Rmani

tieke

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#3286504 26-Sep-2024 09:38

Another possible cause could be the cladding - I've experienced this in a friend's house of similar age, which had cladding that looked like weatherboard but was actually a plastic composite. Every now and then expansion caused a gunshot-like noise even though there were some covered expansion gaps which were presumably designed to avoid this, so either a faulty install or faulty materials.

I agree that once a month seems to be too infrequent a period for weather-based expansion though, so keeping a log of dates and weather conditions would be helpful.

eracode

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#3286505 26-Sep-2024 09:44

tieke:

Another possible cause could be the cladding - I've experienced this in a friend's house of similar age, which had cladding that looked like weatherboard but was actually a plastic composite. Every now and then expansion caused a gunshot-like noise even though there were some covered expansion gaps which were presumably designed to avoid this, so either a faulty install or faulty materials.

I agree that once a month seems to be too infrequent a period for weather-based expansion though, so keeping a log of dates and weather conditions would be helpful.

OP said the sound was coming from above the ceiling.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#3286507 26-Sep-2024 09:46

Just looked and found lots of stuff on the internet - like this.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Bung

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#3286510 26-Sep-2024 10:17

eracode:
OP said the sound was coming from above the ceiling.

But OP was downstairs and rest of family were upstairs. Did they also hear it above them, in their floor or were they responsible? 😁

dafman

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#3286767 26-Sep-2024 19:04

I live in an 1980s Lockwood.

It does this. Daily. Sometimes not so loud, other times, like a shotgun.

For a year or so after we moved in, I was fixated on it.

Now, I grown accustomed to it - the house is talking to me. It no longer bothers me. I’d probably miss it if it wasn’t there.

Bung

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#3286774 26-Sep-2024 19:55

Sometimes retightening the vertical tension rods in the Lockwood walls helps reduce movement. Instructions are on Lockwood's site.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
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#3286778 26-Sep-2024 20:43

dafman:

I live in an 1980s Lockwood.

It does this. Daily. Sometimes not so loud, other times, like a shotgun.

For a year or so after we moved in, I was fixated on it.

Now, I grown accustomed to it - the house is talking to me. It no longer bothers me. I’d probably miss it if it wasn’t there.

Very good point. Have never owned a Lockwood but have stayed in one a few times. They do go bang occasionally due to temperature expansion/contraction of the solid timber walls and the way they’re constructed. Depending on the OP’s situation, this may well be the explanation - rather than the steel roof theory I outlined earlier.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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