Bulging strips of plaster?

IvyFlood

We have lived in our new house less than a month and just last night I noticed some of the plaster on one of the internal walls is ‘bulging’ in vertical strips down the wall from ceiling to floor. I could have sworn it wasn’t like that when we moved in but I’m not sure. It’s not visible in daylight or when the light is on in the room. I only noticed it when the light in the hall was on and it cast a shadow into the bedroom making it show up.

Now here are my theories;

The wall in question backs on to the bathroom and is the wall where the shower and sink are plumbed. We did have a leak in the bathroom from the shower which caused a damp patch on the wall in the hall directly below which we have now had the bottom of the shower resealed and the patch in the hall has dried out/not got worse. So I don’t think it’s that.

We also replaced the shower head and the shower does sometimes make a strange/loud noise when it’s in use now, if it could be that? Not sure why it would be though?

And finally, the window in our bathroom broke and we are unable to open it otherwise we can’t get it closed again. It’s in the process of being fixed. Our extractor fan also doesn’t work. Could the build up of moisture in the bathroom have caused it? Though it was only yesterday that we had showers without keeping the bathroom door open and then I noticed it in the evening.


Or it could be none of the above and was just like that when we moved in for whatever reason?!

The bulges themselves aren’t wet they’re just solid lumps and there's about 3 of them equally spaced apart down the wall. Doesn't seem right does it?!

How concerned should we be?

Thanks in advance!

IvyFlood

Alter_ego wrote: »

There's only one way to find out.

And that would be?

DEV1L

I had a leak like this a few years back. Turns out the guttering was blocked outside and water made it's way behind the plaster and caused a big bubble.
I would stick a pin/nail in the bubble and see if its wet behind and keep an eye on it for any signs of leaking.

maisie_cat

Are you sure it's caused by a leak? They could be the result of poorly jointed plasterboard, where the joints are not tapered and leaved a raised "column".

IvyFlood

DEV1L wrote: »

I had a leak like this a few years back. Turns out the guttering was blocked outside and water made it's way behind the plaster and caused a big bubble.
I would stick a pin/nail in the bubble and see if its wet behind and keep an eye on it for any signs of leaking.

Hmm. Its an internal wall though? And surely I'd see evidence on the kitchen wall below if it was a leak? As I said the wall isn't wet it just feels raised but I might try the pin idea and see what happens

G42

You need to answer the question - Are the walls covered with plasterboard? If they are then maisie cat has given you the answer.

IvyFlood

maisie_cat wrote: »

Are you sure it's caused by a leak? They could be the result of poorly jointed plasterboard, where the joints are not tapered and leaved a raised "column".

I'm not sure if its caused by a leak that was my original question! The house is 1960s so you could be right. They are raised 'columns'. It was just the fact that the wall backs on to the bathroom where we have had numerous problems recently made me suspicious!

DEV1L

Yeah it was an internal wall. Water from the gutter outside made its throught the house up the wall and gathered behind the interior wall and plaster causing a big bubble, which was dry to the touch. No other signs of a leak or water build up anywhere. I got a plaster out and he put a hole in the plaster and it was wet behind, he traced it to the gutter and a week later the wall dried out and he came back and removed the loose plaster and reskimmed the wall. Job done.

G42

Try this. Tap the walls from one direction to the other. Plasterboard will have a hollow sound when tapped. When you come to the raised parts the sound will become denser due to the filler used to join the plasterboard.

DEV1L

https://activerain.com/blogsview/3378223/sacramento-general-contractor-helps-with-signs-of-water-leak---part-2

Does it look like B. On this link

IvyFlood

G42 wrote: »

Try this. Tap the walls from one direction to the other. Plasterboard will have a hollow sound when tapped. When you come to the raised parts the sound will become denser due to the filler used to join the plasterboard.

I have a feeling it isn't plasterboard