We finished our house about 6 months ago... it has a slate roof.

We were away for a week recently, but left the heating on as normal.

On the night we got back, we were woken by a strange noise from the roof space... a kind of loud crackling noise. We are used to the normal 'settlement' noises, but this was something altogether different.

I went up into the roof-space and the crackling was louder, but there was no sign of what was causing it.

Then went outside and the noise from the roof was louder still... very bizarre!

It settled down after an hour or so.

Anyone have any ideas about what may have caused this? It was a frosty night, but nowhere near as cold or frosty as we've had this year so far!

Confused.com!

Did you build your house on a ancient Indian burial ground? Do you find the TV comes on by itself, only showing static, and you can hear whispering? Do you occasionally catch a glimpse of a person behind you in the mirror?

Yeah your house is deffo haunted.

Blimey... hadn't thought about the old Poltergeist! Better not mention that to the Missus!



Anyone have anymore scientific explanations?

"crackling" ??

must of been a pig farm !!

Maybe someone was doing some really good MIG welding up there?! That crackles when it is right...!

So what you have is a Mig welding Poltergeist, with a pig farm, living in your roof. Its pretty obvious really.

most roof noises are normally expansion and contraction

what about animals? squirral rats mice etc?

Are you sure it was the roof and not some electrical activity arcing due to the damp conditions - do you have power lines anywhere near? seems very strange the noise was louder outside than in.....

It might be a very big squirrel!
http://rat-hunter.com/stories/2008/gi-joe/rat-hunter-gi-joe.jpg

Blimey... that is a big squirrel (or very small soldiers!).

big squirrel BIG NUTS ........ It could be electric arcing but you would think that that would show its self in the dark ...... did your hair stand on end

these are al very helpful answers.
if you can go outside to hear it (its worrying that you can hear it out side that loud!) does it do it fairly regularly? if it was only done 6 months ago, i'd get the original roofer back out to inspect it.

might still be movement due to the temperature, or maybe the wood has dried out with central heating and some of the joints might be a bit loose?

i'd get the guys who did it back to check it all. its still new enough that they should sort any problems for free i think. don't know if any sort of guarantee comes in these things. if its a new house, doesn't it have some kind of NHBC warranty? they normally last for 10 years

Yes... a new house.

It certainly wasn't the usual creak's associated with settlement... I used the word 'crackling' - it was a similar sound to when a a fire 'pops' (loudly!).

It was a one-off, nothing was damaged, and I wouldn't put it down to a building error as it was every part of the tiled surface making the noise (bloody big area covering 2 different pitches).

All very bizarre, but I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for it all! Just wondered if anyone on here had experienced something similar.

if it was a one off i wouldn't worry as much then. a bit concerning that the whole roof made the noise right enough...

our wall used to make a weird pinging noise. sounded a bit like flicking one of these
and the house was over 20 years old lol. it did it for a few months. haven't heard it for a while

it now makes a funny noise at night. sounds like a cat miaowing. thing is, it sounds exactly like a cat we had that died 5 years ago

Plastic Faciure boards (can't spell that) expanding/contacting?? If the sun comes out (as if) it would do that then...

Dan

Our plastic gutters make similar noises depending on which way the wind is blowing over them. Could it be that? If so then you might notice a difference in tone when raining when the gutters are partially full of water.

Static buildup perhaps?

Probably just the medication your on

quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82

it now makes a funny noise at night. sounds like a cat miaowing. thing is, it sounds exactly like a cat we had that died 5 years ago

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My house is fairly new and when it's windy the roof felt which protrudes past the tiles to hang into the guttering flaps in the wind, makes a bloody racket when it's a gale force wind.
Could it be this.

My Mrs makes some funny noises but as (I assume) she's not in your loft that's not a lot of help really.

Changes in the water content of the roof timbers can cause creaking noises.

it may have been the nails that hold on the tiles poping with the cold are they copper or galvie-shank nails.

Not sure, but you might just have come up with the answer!