- Water stains or discolouration on your ceiling
- Sagging or buckling in your ceiling
- Termite ‘frass’ or fecal matter among your rafters
- Tunnels or ‘mud tubes’ running up your chimney or external walls
- Flying termites near windows or doors
What causes ceiling seams to bulge?
In some cases, the seams running perpendicular to these also bulge. In other types of ceilings, such drywall, too much weight from insulation, exposure to prolonged humidity, an improperly installed vapor barrier, or the installation of ceiling panels that are too thin for the frame spacing can cause ceilings to bulge.
What causes drywall to bulge?
Water leaking from your pipes can cause drywall to bulge as water pools behind it. Typically these bulges are present in ceilings, but walls may also bulge if a significant amount of water has collected behind the drywall. You may also notice discoloration such as water stains if the leak has been present for a long period.
How do you fix a bulge in the ceiling?
Bulges in ceilings caused by improper construction may sometimes be repaired by removing the material in the bulging areas and replacing with another layer of board or plaster. If there are numerous bulges, you may have to replace the entire ceiling to correct the problem.
Why does my house have a bulge on the roof?
These bulges are the result of underlying issues, most often water damage. Proper preparation and repair will help fix this imperfection. Water damage is a serious problem to any part of the home, and leaves affected spaces open to increased mold growth and several other adverse problems.
What does a bulge in the ceiling mean?
A sign of a water damaged ceiling is swelling or bubbling. The bulge in the ceiling may indicate that there is an accumulation of moisture in the wood and drywall that is trying to be released.
How do you fix a ceiling that is bulging?
Two solutions for a sagging ceiling Sagging in a ceiling may be caused by undersized drywall. You either have to replace 1/2-in. drywall with 5/8-in. or add furring strips and a second layer of 5/8-in. drywall.
What would cause a ceiling to bubble?
Ceiling water bubbles form when water gets into your ceiling and pooling creates enough pressure to cause the paint or plaster to bubble up. If left for an extended period of time, it can create water damage which you may see in other parts of your home like brickwork or walls.
How much does it cost to fix sagging ceiling?
The national cost average for ceiling repairs is $250 to $850, with most homeowners paying $450 to patch a hole in a ceiling. The project's low cost is $100 to replace a damaged drop tile. The high cost for this project is $2,000 to deal with a serious leak.
How do you know if your ceiling has water damage?
Other than the obvious water leaking from your ceiling, some things to watch out for include:Slightly discolored spots -- usually copper, yellow, or brown.Peeling, cracking, or bubbling wall surfaces.Discolored growths.Odors indicative of mold or mildew.Stains on ceiling.Sagging ceiling.Bulging drywall.
Why does my ceiling have a bulge?
Typically these bulges are present in ceilings, but walls may also bulge if a significant amount of water has collected behind the drywall. You may also notice discoloration such as water stains if the leak has been present for a long period.
What does a drywall bulge mean?
Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Bulging drywall can indicate a leak in your plumbing, even if moisture is not present. Bulges in drywall occur when shortcuts are taken or mistakes are made during the installation process. They may not become evident until much later.
How to repair a bulge in a panel?
To repair this type of bulge, drill into the damaged area and remove the paper core that has swollen from the moisture. Patch the area with joint compound and allow this to dry. Sand the area smooth and repaint. Advertisement.
What happens when you drive drywall fasteners?
Driving fasteners into drywall with the wrong tool, overdriving them or not holding the drywall board so that it is securely against the studs while fastening can cause damage to the drywall paper and allow the moist joint compound to damage the core of the drywall panel.
Why does my ceiling sag after installation?
Cause: Water-based textures wet face paper and weaken gypsum core, causing ceiling panels to sag after installation. Remedy: same as above. But these causes do not address wall bulging, nor are the remedies complete as cause and cure of excessive interior moisture are not addressed.
What happens if you shine a flashlight along a wall?
If you shine a flashlight along, rather than directly at a wall surfaces, both regular details (such as regular, rectangular bulges in a plaster wall or ceiling) as well as irregular surfaces and defects are easily observed.
Does gypsum board have shadowing?
Indeed shadowing is described in gypsum product manufacturer's literature such as USG 's "Plastering", and shadowing remains a cosmetic concern at joints in modern gypsum-board based plaster systems.
Why does drywall have blisters?
Loosening drywall is another reason bulges appear. Loosening means the material is pulling away from the studs, which will cause bulges or blisters in the drywall. Additional blistering often becomes evident along the seams where two pieces of drywall meet, and where the tape and compound are present. The website askthebuilder.com indicates that the most common cause of blistering in drywall tape is improper application; most often a lack of joint compound between the tape and drywall.
How to tell if drywall is water damaged?
Water damage is a serious problem to any part of the home, and leaves affected spaces open to increased mold growth and several other adverse problems. Water problems will often leave warning signs, and in drywall bulges are telltale signs. Additional signs include discoloration and a softening of the drywall, often found alongside water stains on the ceiling or buckling floors. Prior to fixing the drywall, the water source, whether it be a leaky pipe or roof, must be repaired and the area allowed to dry.
What causes a sagging ceiling?
Here are five causes of a sagging or cracked ceiling, and what you can do about them. 1. Structural movement in the building. Building structures can move with seasonal temperature changes, and these movements can cause chaos if they’re not factored in when you build.
Why does my garage ceiling crack?
Garage ceilings can be exposed to more regular vibrations than other areas of your property. Power-operated roller doors and panel lift doors attached to the building can create sharp, repetitive movements that are transferred through to your ceiling. If these vibrations are repeated often enough, the continued stress can cause your garage ceiling to crack, warp or sag. This can cause greater issues when it comes to doors or windows being misaligned as a result of the movement in the ceiling.
What happens if you have water logged insulation?
Waterlogged insulation is incredibly heavy and, when it falls, can cause serious damage to not only your home and possessions but also cause serious injury to your family. If you’re seeing a slow-growing patch of mould or stains on your ceiling, these could be signs of a leak in your roof.
Can a leaking roof cause damage to the ceiling?
Water damage from a leaking roof can cause huge issues for your ceiling. If you have just a few litres of water soaking into your insulation fibre, this amounts to tens of kilograms of weight piled onto your ceiling plasterboard, pushing it further and further towards breaking point. Waterlogged insulation is incredibly heavy and, when it falls, can cause serious damage to not only your home and possessions but also cause serious injury to your family.
Can termites cause a ceiling to collapse?
Termites can cause huge structural damage with few symptoms. They can easily destroy load-bearing timber structures, causing ceilings and walls to sag, crack or even collapse.
Why do drywall edges get butted together?
Here’s yet another possible cause: When drywall sheets with uncut edges are butted together, a depression forms along the line where they join. That depression is meant to accommodate joint compound and drywall tape. Trouble arises only when installers opt to use cut drywall.
Why does drywall disappear after painting?
The most likely culprit is the manner in which your drywall was installed. For the seam between drywall panels to disappear after painting, that joint between drywall panels must be covered with compound in a specific way —in a series of layers, with each layer wider than the last.
