Will the house shrink when the weather is cold? It feels like it is ticking at night

Yes.

The reason why houses shrink when the weather is cold is thermal expansion and contraction. Thermal expansion and contraction will cause deformation and stress changes in the building. When the temperature rises or falls, various parts of the building will expand or contract to varying degrees, which will cause changes in the shape of the building, such as cracks in the walls, unevenness on the ground, deformation of doors and windows, etc. At the same time, since various parts of the building are acted upon by forces of different directions and sizes, stress will be generated. If the stress exceeds the bearing range of the material, it will cause damage or fracture of the material.