Drywall beneath screw locations is bulging. What could be causing this?

Submitted by LowHat5830 t3_ybvxfo in DIY

I have been fastening MDF to typical sheetrock over 2x framing in a laundry room, and the walls below the screws keeps bulging. This has occurred 3 times on 3 separate walls. At first I thought I hit a pipe, but I peeledback some drywall, and it is not wet. Could the impact driver I am using be pulling the MDF into the wall hard enough to cause the bulging?

Bulging Drywall

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PioneerStandard t1_ititze1 wrote

Screwing those MDF boards into the studs, pulled the drywall full into the stud, removing a small gap and popping the drywall screws. It happens all the time in areas where drywall is not installed fully flush with the wall studs.

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LowHat5830 OP t1_itj46e6 wrote

Gotcha! Not something I had ever bumped into. I appreciate the help! Do you think putting a few screws through the bulge would help? Or how would you recommend fixing?

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dominus_aranearum t1_itjitho wrote

/u/PioneerStandard's answer is partially correct, but not fully correct. While these bulges do occur because the drywall is not fully flush to the support behind it, bulges this big are usually because of either a foreign object (insulation, staple, etc.) rather than a drywall screw not fully seated. This also often occurs when the top plates sit back a bit from the studs.

A proper fix is to cut out the bulged area, remove all the loose material and mud over it. Answers that suggest hitting the area with a block/hammer, while may appear to work, only serve to break up the gypsum between the layers of paper. It may work, but it's not an actual fix.

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Dildo5000 t1_itkhpqt wrote

No. The bulge is a broken patch of drywall. Put new screws below it into the studs on a non fucked area of drywall as 2 inches for the edge of the bulge. And cut the bulge out. Then patch the hole with a piece of drywall, mud, and drywall tape.

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StunningTrash9238 t1_itkxdrf wrote

Vent pipie coupling. In the first picture. You screwed into it.

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warm-saucepan t1_itiw4o9 wrote

You could try taking a 1x4 or 2x4 block bigger than the bulge and hitting that with a hammer to repeat the gypsum. If it was put up with nails you might be good to go. If screwed you'll have to tighten the screw then spackle or mud it.

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LowHat5830 OP t1_itj4ibe wrote

Thanks for the help. That makes sense! I'll give it a few hits and see what happens! I'm guessing it's screwed, so I'll probably need to screw the gyp back down, right?

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914paul t1_itjcper wrote

Laundry room? My immediate thought was wet area + MDF = warping/swelling/etc. But Pioneer’s answer seems better informed.

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