my husband wants to call in a specialist that deals in cracks

and who might that be??

A structural engineer. But if it hasn't fallen down by now, it's not likely to. Have you repaired any of these cracks?

Just look for a recommended home inspector online for your area and see what he has to say.

Hubby is right on this one.

The fact that your home remains standing 55 years after it was built says much more than any structural engineer ever can.

Yes, a "crack specialist" (whatever that is) may find more problems. Isn't that what you want him to do? Check reputation and go for it.

Just don't call the guy with the "torch thing you saw on a home show recently".

A specialist. In the business of flagging things and throwing the book at you. Making a mountain out of a mole hill. Using scare tactics.

Get multiple opinions and research well to protect yourself from the money machine. Wise move, dahoov.

They have specialists for cracks. One here is this company that is at every fair/home show
http://www.jeswork.com/ppc/vb-foundation-repair.aspx?gclid=COL3m6S208ICFUKUfgod4hYATw

Okay smart a** above. I forgot what the torch method of the roof was. But the person knew what it was... geez. They literally melt the stuff on the roof... geez.

Snookums, that was what I was thinking too and why the disagreement. I wasn't just sure who you call for these things. This company above I posted the link for is the only one I know of around here. They advertise in the paper, mail inserts and are at every single home show and fair here. Whenever I see them, they seem high pressure and I won't go over there; they are always grabbing people who walk by. I hate that!
.

What fifty year old house doesn't have a few cracks? Patch, paint and forget them.

You might have some differential settling, sure. Depending on how the foundation is made, you might be able to ameliorate it easily. We don't have enough detail to know. Shoring and foundation repair companies may be able to help, but be sure to get multiple opinions. A consultant engineer might make you feel better since they should be impartial. Home inspection companies often have them or have them on call.

What are your interior walls made of, plaster board (drywall), rock lath and plaster,...?

quote"A structural engineer. But if it hasn't fallen down by now, it's not likely to. Have you repaired any of these cracks?"
As a painter, paper hanger, why, yes, probably about a million of them. Any reputable painter, drywall guy,(girl) should be able to fix them.

Lol, I paid to have some fixed a number of times, each time by someone else. They kept cracking again. Not until I fixed them myself did that problem go away.

Do some how-to research, take care of it yourself and be done with it. It is not difficult and is a good skill to have.

Isnt that what paintings are for?

The part about the kitchen being 'off' an inch is much more worisome than the cracks.

A house settles naturally over time. However, changes in the soil around the foundation/under the slab or crawlspace can increase that movement and create some extra problems.

The bit about calling a specific company and having them 'sell' you a fix because that is their business is a worry if the company is not trustworthy.

It sounds to me, from your description, that your problem needs a company that can reinforce the foundation or stabilize the soil compaction under parts of the house. That would be a mud jacking company. They typically have people trained to find the areas of trouble and design a fix using concrete or 'mud' forced into the ground to raise the foundation/slab back into the correct position.

Done properly, mud jacking will fix the problem. I have seen large buildings mud jacked with good results.

Had the same problem as yours. The only difference was mine was much worst - cracks were long and half an inch deep with water spilling through.

I talked to a builder who is my wife's brother. The brother advised me to just get the thing waterproofed since waterproofing contractors also deal with the cracks.Voila! I just killed two birds in one stone.

As far as the kitchen shimming, sometimes houses are just built and stuff is "off". My house is 19 years old. We got granite some years ago and our walls just aren't straight. We decided it was better to go with a 4 inch piece of granite for the backsplash even though we wanted to use ceramic tile down to the counter. The walls were bowed so we were afraid there would be gaps in places.

We got our floor tiled. The one corner of the kitchen had to have a good inch of leveler, or more, it was really off. I think it was in an area over the main beam. Could be your kitchen needing to be shimmed was normal. But of course, I'm just a homeowner, and haven't seen what needed to be done.

Maybe a home inspector won't be that much since they won't be inspecting everything like in a home sale. Just call them. Any realtor should be able to refer you to one, or ask a neighbor who has recently moved or is moving who they used.

If the house is on clay soil, you may only need to put a soaker hose about 12"-24" away from foundation to water the foundation. Clay soil will cause the house to shift causing cracks in sheetrock inside.