# Bulges in ceiling normal?



## colo4474 (Jun 25, 2014)

We have a 4 mo old $450k home and discovered the 3 upper bedroom ceilings are all bumpy and lumpy. It's not all at seam locations. Builder tried floating with no success. They removed and installed new 1/2" drywall. New drywall is showing the same problems. Anyone have any idea what this is and how to fix it? Also, is this normal? Builder is trying to get me to just accept it.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Yes the ceiling joists are 24" on center !/2" drywall is for 16" on center. Should have used 5/8" and no lightweight drywall.


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## scottktmrider (Jul 1, 2012)

Or use ceiling board


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## colo4474 (Jun 25, 2014)

They put up "1/2" light rock for ceilings and walls". Can you tell from the picture that it is 24" on center? Blown insulation above. Rest of the home has bowed and twisted wood as well. It seems they can fix walls but ceilings are giving them a hard time.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Ceilings are almost always 24" on center. And if they used the light drywall your problems are only starting. This is a bad product I don't care what brand it was. Why it looks wavy is the the fasteners are pulling loose and just the weight of the insulation is doing it. They blow air into it to make it lighter this causes air pockets and they don't hold screws well. It's hard to hang because if your not very careful you drive the screw to deep and tear the paper this also causes screw pops. 

I could go on but the problem is the drywall and now after a little time problems with paint is starting to show up. These problems are from pro hangers and painters who do this everyday. Unfortunately the drywall companies are not acknowledging the problem. But it is rumored one Certainteed is going to discontinue making it. I know there will be others on here saying they used it with no problems but they are the exception note the rule.

And almost everyplace I know 5/8" is code for ceilings. You may want to check code for your area.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I flat out refuse to use 1/2 on a ceiling.
Main reason, never once had a call back.
But I've had to go back and repair plenty of 1/2 rock with cracked seams, and screw pops.
Hard to see much in that picture because of poor lighting.
Is the paper separating from gypsum? Can you push up where the flaw is and it moves?
Looks like there was not tape used at the wall to ceiling joint because of the dark line showing in that picture. (may just be the lighting


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

If it never gets fixed, and hopefully it does, just figure out what type of lighting you can buy that doesn't shoot the light across the ceiling. Windows might be an issue depending on their location, but this will at least help. If you can't see it, it won't bother you. If the drywall is actually becoming loose, then that's another story and needs to be fixed so it doesn't fall in the future. Lightweight 1/2" will still hurt when it knocks you on your head.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

ToolSeeker said:


> Ceilings are almost always 24" on center.


Up this way most ceilings are on 16 centers, I can see why the rock would sag with 1/2" on 24" centers.


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the ceilings not to sag on a half million dollar house. Maybe it's just me but I wouldn't let the builder get by with it.

Drywall has a weight rating. I suspect that the weight of the blown in insulation exceeds the drywall weight rating. He needs to use the right drywall for the design. He may need to go to with a higher rated drywall or put strapping on at 16" spacing or both. With blown in insulation that's got to be a mess to fix.

BTW, did he by chance put the new drywall layer over the old to avoid the mess of the blown in insulation? That just adds more weight for the new drywall to support.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

There is another thing to factor in, which direction did he run the drywall. I may not get the words right buy I'll try. If he ran the drywall parallel with joists this would also weaken the seams, to run it perpendicular to the joists would be the right way.

If I got this right parallel would be like hanging vertical on the walls. Since 2x framing lumber is only 1 1/2" wide at the best you only have 3/4" to fasten each side of the drywall now say he used 10' sheets then you blow in 10' of insulation and you added a lot of weight. Especially for light weight drywall that doesn't hold screws very well under the best conditions. If he ran it the other way there would be support (screws) every 24" max.


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