Crinkles on full wall drywall seams. Big issue?

bteudt

We're in escrow on a home built in 1977. The home is in good condition overall. On wall #1 in the living room there are wrinkles in the drywall seam between the ceiling and wall along the full length of the wall. There are similar crinkles along the full length of the drywall seam between wall #1 and wall #2. The wrinkles appear in the seller's inspection report from 1992, though they had not progress on the full length of the seam and were confined to a corner between wall #1, wall #2 and the ceiling.

Given that the problem appears to have gotten gradually worse over time ad given that this has been an issue for a number of years, could this be leftover issue from the original installation? Based on what I've read, I'm guessing that foundation movement is a more likely culprit than a bad drywall install. I'm under the impression that if it was how the drywall was originally installed, the issue would have appeared much more quickly.

Any insight you can provide would be GREALY appreciated!

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Axecutioner-B

Termite inspection passed? You are basically buying the house at this point right? What part of the country are you in?

Fixing it shouldn't be a huge deal

bteudt

The termite inspection passed with only a couple of minor issues ($900 worth of minor repairs). The house is in San Diego and we're still in the beginning part of escrow and aren't truly committed for another week or so.

Our main concern is whether the drywall tape appears this way because of an installation issue from many years ago or if it's an indicator of a bigger structural issue (e.g., foundation, framing, etc.)

Thanks!

Axecutioner-B

It is hard to tell from the picture. I wouldn't think it is too bad.. BUT .. it might be worth it to have a local professional have a good look.

bteudt

Thanks Axe! Anyone else care to weigh in? I'm very glad I found this forum.

oh'mike

Sound like 'truss heave'---That's the center wall--Right?

The house is truss construction?

If so ,that is a common (and benign ) problem. Google truss heave for a long explanation.

In a nut shell the ceiling chord lifts a bit when the roof gets hot--1977 the truss system was new to builders---they had not learned the techniques that are used today--so torn paper or ripples like the picture occurred all to frequently.

----Mike---

bteudt

The center wall, correct. Truss heave definitely seems plausible, and it's certainly something worth considering based on what the wall looks like. We're having a foundation contractor and a drywall contractor out to the house tomorrow to see if we can get to the bottom of this. I'll report back here with their findings (if any!)

In the meantime, additional comments and thoughts are definitely welcome!

oh'mike

Crown molding---you're going to want to learn that skill.

bteudt

LOL. Hey, as long as there's nothing wrong with the structure or foundation, I'm all about crown molding!

bteudt

Well, to make a long story short, it's no big deal! After talking with the owners and reviewing old records, this issue appears to be the result of paper tape and a crappy original install. The foundation and structure were in great shape and there were no other obvious contributing factors. There was one other wall seam that was affected and $300 will fix everything.

A very happy ending all things considered. Thanks to everyone for their comments and insight!