Loud noise in sub-zero temperatures? ❄️

[A&O]

We have been living in the house since Dec. One night (when it reached 7 degrees below zero) we heard a loud bang, sounded like it came from above, a real "bang", kind of widespread, then maybe two times more smaller sounds in more localized places but much quieter.

Last night (minus 9 degrees) we heard the same loud bang/sound. Then two or three smaller ones again. Like the night in December. Is this normal? Does it have to do with it being several degrees below zero? (Only happened then) What is making such a loud noise really? Roof, wood, ventilation? And when should one really be "worried"? I don't know how loud a sound is normal?

Two-story wooden house + deck & balcony.

 

[Bombus pratorum]

Normal. Wood moves with temperature and humidity changes. My house creaked and made noises last night too. It has stood for 170 years so far and has probably creaked the whole time.

 

[Kardan79]

That's how it is.
Nothing to be done about it.

I have a 100 sqm wooden deck connected to the house. That too can crack like a gunshot. Usually not appreciated by the dog. Especially not at night.

Edit - if there are very large amounts of snow on the roof, there might possibly be reason to consider the cause of the sound.

 

[A&O]

Normal. Wood moves with temperature and humidity changes. My house creaked last night too. It has been standing for 170 years and has probably creaked the whole time.

Yes exactly, since that loud noise has only occurred at several degrees below zero, I haven't worried too much. But I became a bit curious tonight about "how loud" is okay & when you should check it out. It only sounds once, on both occasions. Everything looks okay from the outside and also inside the house (what is visible). Then I don't know what the roof/floor, etc., looks like or if anything has been affected.

 

[A&O]

That's right.
Nothing to be done about it.

I have a 100 sqm wooden deck adjacent to the house. It can also pop like gunshots. Usually not appreciated by the dog. Especially not at night.

Edit - if there's a very large amount of snow on the roof, it might be worth considering the cause of the sound.

We have a patio and balcony with a wooden deck and glass railing. That could also be making the noise. I feel like the sound is coming from high up, but maybe it's from the second-floor balcony, not sure.

No snow, just frost & minus 9 last night (now thawing in the sun). I'll keep in mind about snow, if it happens in connection with that, what could be "wrong" then?

 

[P-plats]

Many years ago, we had a blockage in a downspout and the entire häbgrännan was full of water. When it froze in the evening/night, it banged really hard on several occasions.
If it's coming from above, it might be the same for you...

 

[A&O]

Many years ago, we had a blockage in a downspout and the entire gutter was full of water. When it froze in the evening/night, it made a really loud noise on several occasions.
I thought if it comes from above, it could be the same for you...

Okay! Thanks for the tip, I can't check it on the front side of the house (or how do I see it? High up 🙂) but I can check the patio side. If I go out on the balcony, I should be able to see how it looks on that side at least!

 

[Tomture61]

The temperature difference in the wooden frame of a house can sometimes be large, as can the moisture content. Wood shrinks at low temperatures, and what is heard are tensions in joints/connections. Some parts of the wooden frame support several tons, roofs, for example, tend to be heavy.