Loose tape and loose popcorn texture

[Christopher S. DeWitt]

I was at a home today build in 1999, the corner in one of the bedrooms, has loose tape, which is wavey and the ceiling texture is loose around the edge of the room in a few places. There is no discoloration in the ceiling texture and the corner has been painted. The buyers brother was insistant that it was leak from the outside of the home that cause it. I disagreed with him, but after leaving the home I'm not quite sure.

In all the ceilings I've seen where there texture has gotten moist or wet it has always dicolored. And I've painted corners and have had them come apart due to the moisture from the paint loosening the tape.


The home has a layer of poly under the sheetrock, and I found signs of a house rap being in place on the exterior of the home, attic area was dry and showed no signs of a moisture problem. This bedroom was directly below the attic, home has good eaves.

Anyway any comments would be great.

[lewens]

I have found similar situations where the problem was caused by an after finishing repair was performed in a corner. The drywaller came in, repaired the damage and then the painter came in and painted without priming the repaired area. This caused the paint to affect the mud on the walls , ceiling and the tape. Repair was then easy, strip the wall back to the drywall, retape, mud and prime.
I am not saying this is the cause, but, it could very well be. Good luck.
Larry

[John W. Springstead]

Could also just be a "poor" intial drywall taping job.

[Richard Coan]

If this is an outside corner with an attic check the insulation, in minus degree weather if it is poorly insulated the corners will frost up and can cause the problem you discribbed.

Rich

[Dale L. Staben]

Originally Posted by lewens

I have found similar situations where the problem was caused by an after finishing repair was performed in a corner. The drywaller came in, repaired the damage and then the painter came in and painted without priming the repaired area. This caused the paint to affect the mud on the walls , ceiling and the tape. Repair was then easy, strip the wall back to the drywall, retape, mud and prime.
I am not saying this is the cause, but, it could very well be. Good luck.
Larry

I gotta go with Larry on this one Having done that type of repair work I have loosened the tape and texture with wet paint many a time, but don't worry if the buyer really wants the house that can be checked out if he is really worried. I once had a guy come into an apartment I was fixing and had just finished repairing a hole in the ceiling where the last Tennant poked a hole in it with a ski ,and I overheard the new renter tell the manager he didn't want the apartment because he is a contractor and the repair was from a roof leak
( jokes on him this was a second floor apartment no roof above just the third floor apartment, but then again he said he was a contractor )

[tdutt]

It's not the paint or the prime, it's either a lack of mud behind the tape that causes the tape to blister as we like to say in the drywall trade (20 years), or there has been water damage. Water damage causes the mud to lose its ability to bond the tape to the board.
The only way to tell for sure is to peel back the tape. If the wallboard surface is clean like it just came off of the delivery truck, then it's the applicator's fault. If the wallboard has mud that has a chalky dusty appearance, and the tape peels back with a paper-thin layer of mud residue on the paper joint tape, then there has been a water problem. Usually it has to be more then just condensation, like a serious water leak.
I've fixed thousands of patches in 20 years and I've seen water damaged ceilings and walls without any stains. The ceiling can have serious bowing problems and screw or nail pops, it can completely dry out after it has been water damaged, and I can peel the tape back like I just put it on 2 minutes ago. The only reason the tape is lifting or blistered when painted (or primed) or coated with joint compound, is becasue the tape has been re-wetted and is no longer bonded to the board.

[Stephen F. Myers]

Originally Posted by cdewitt

I was at a home today build in 1999, the corner in one of the bedrooms, has loose tape, which is wavey and the ceiling texture is loose around the edge of the room in a few places. There is no discoloration in the ceiling texture and the corner has been painted. The buyers brother was insistant that it was leak from the outside of the home that cause it. I disagreed with him, but after leaving the home I'm not quite sure.

In all the ceilings I've seen where there texture has gotten moist or wet it has always dicolored. And I've painted corners and have had them come apart due to the moisture from the paint loosening the tape.


The home has a layer of poly under the sheetrock, and I found signs of a house rap being in place on the exterior of the home, attic area was dry and showed no signs of a moisture problem. This bedroom was directly below the attic, home has good eaves.

Anyway any comments would be great.

So cover yourself by adding that a competent mold inspector be called to further inspect and test if necessary. A poly wrap concerns me as I know that in the event water intrusion occurs, the water is trapped against the substrate for extended periods of time.