My home was built 10 years ago. All of my ceilings are drywalled and some have scultured pattern finishes with a 3" clear edge boarder. In the boarder edge I have screw pops which have been repaired once by a drywall contractor. He dug out the cracked compound and reset the screw by tighting it and refilled the hole with drywall compound. Once again the pops have returned and need to be repaired. How can I repair them so they will not return again? What materials would you recommend? I listen to your show on the radio on a regular basis and I'm very impressed with your great knowledge and expertise on home improvement questions. I await your answer to my problem.
Answer:
I'd take the screws right out and chuck 'em. You appear to be experiencing a bit of what is called 'rafter lift' and if there are no fasteners within 12 to 16 inches of the perimeter, the rafter can lift and the drywall will bend accordingly without poping screws or seams.
