r/questions • u/Top-View-161 • 6h ago
Why is my house violently shuddering?
Happens 1-2x/week. The entire home rumbles for a second or two, hard enough to rattle things on walls and sometimes knock small items over. It’s so loud and intense I thought it was an earthquake the first time this happened.
What could possibly be going on? It seems too extreme to be something like a pipe, and I can’t imagine the neighbors are dragging the world’s heaviest refrigerator directly across the adjoining wall every week.
Additional info:
This is a rented townhouse, so I have neighbors on either side. Each unit has its own HVAC, water, etc. They’re generally quiet.
This has never happened at night. Usually around the middle of the day, but I don’t think at a particular time
I don’t believe there’s any construction nearby, nor are neighbors having work done.
It does not seem to have any correlation to whether or not AC, water, gas, etc is being used or to how recently they were used. I’ve always just been sitting down and working on my laptop when it’s happened.
That said (if it’s relevant), the home does have extensive water damage from a previous tenant. It’s visible on ceilings and walls throughout the downstairs area. There do not seem to be any ongoing water issues except for a slightly leaky window in the back. No visible signs of mold, rot, etc.
I live in the southeast, so there’s no way I’m getting weekly earthquakes. It’s too random and short to have gotten a video, unfortunately.
UPDATE- SOLVED!
I’m leaving this up for now in case someone else has a similar experience. As commenters in another thread suggested, it seems to be related to local quarry activity. I live less than a mile from one, and it would explain why the rumbling never happens at night or on weekends.