Have a 40+ year old cape. Noticed alot of nail pops, thin verticle line bulges, and a wavy look to edges of ceiling where it meets the wall on drywall in several rooms of the house. Had the house re-roofed with shingles over the existing roof about 4 years ago. There is no sign of water damage or softness to the ceilings and walls. Any ideas what could be causing this? Thanks in advance Donna
Settleing
Well there are several possibilities. Maybe that extra weight on the roof has caused some problems. It is almost always better to do a tear off. However there are any number of other possibilities. Did you do any changes to the heating or cooling systems? Humidity and temperature changes could be a problem.
Have you lived there for the 40+ years? Has it had prior problems?
We have not made any changes to the heating or cooling systems. Have lived in the house for the 40+ years. Have had a few nail pops & vertical bulge problems in attic bedrooms before, but no prior problems with first floor, which is where the wavy ceiling/wall and nail pops are showing up now. Thanks again. Donna
Maybe the extra weight of the additional roof. BTW how many layers of roofing is there now? In 40 years I would guess this is at least the second new roof to be put on and if both the original and first replacement are now under the second (or third) replacement you are carrying too much weight up there.
Extra weight ? Look into design loads, there is no way a properly designed building will buckle even with an avg snow load. More likely the house has settled , or poorly built including drywall and internal supports.
There are many possibilities. However Dunzley noted the new roof added over the old. That could well be the proverbial straw. It is one item worth look at.
Possible carpenter ant infestation or termite damage that is beginning to show up? Consider talking to neighbors in similar houses to determine if the problem is unique to your house. Might be worth while to hire a structural expert to assess the situation. Good luck.
Joe
Maybe someone added another layer of sheetrock over the existing rock or plaster and didn't nail it very well. Whe sheetrock is installed the ceiling should always go up first then the wallls can butt up and support the ceiling. If this is not the case the floor is eiither raing or dropping or both.
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