Ceiling popping noises and drywall screws showing after roof repair
Fasteners popping out of the drywall and mysterious white or brown spots appearing after a roof installation point to underlying structural stress or moisture issues. These symptoms can make it difficult to determine whether the house is simply settling or if dangerous mold is developing.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 17.5× more often in r/Roofing than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Having roofers nail the curled ridge vent back on instead of replacing itDid this help you?
- 2trying to figure out where on my priorities list it should fallDid this help you?
- 3accepting subpar interior aesthetics in rental apartments as long as the roof does not leakDid this help you?
- 4doing interior molding or drywall work independentlyDid this help you?
- 5contacting the landlord or emergency maintenance to fix itDid this help you?
- 6avoiding showering under the damaged area until inspectedDid this help you?
- 7Covering over the hole quickly with a basic materialDid this help you?
- 8Using a plastic material on the ceiling to cover the holeDid this help you?
- 9Calling a professionalDid this help you?
- 10Using a jack stand to support it and sistering it one side at a timeDid this help you?
- 11Applying latex caulk to cracks using a squeeze tube and wiping away excess with a damp ragDid this help you?
- 12Caulking cracks in the ceiling rather than tearing down and replacing the drywallDid this help you?
- 13Having a general maintenance worker inspect the roof for obvious issues before calling a specialistDid this help you?
- 14Hiring a dedicated roofer instead of a handyman, especially for fickle materials like metal roofsDid this help you?
- 15Cutting the drywall back past the soft spots to prevent mold and patching in new rockDid this help you?
- 16opening the ceiling to let the wood and drywall air dryDid this help you?
- 17installing a plastic cover or access panel for easier maintenance next timeDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“i live in an apartment and this just appeared out of nowhere in my shower ceiling??? what is this and why would this happen??”source ↗
“should i be worried about showering?? why did the drywall just split like this someone help 😭”source ↗
“Trying to fix a hole in my father in law ceiling from a leak from the A/C. I pulled out anything wet already”source ↗
“Honestly this whole project is falling to me so I’m not about to invest a lot into it. Can I just cover over the hole with any type of material everything is structurally stable.”source ↗
“can ya’ll help me understand Good better best to fix this? Is this firmly out of DIY territory?”source ↗
“In the photos you’ll see that the ceiling is this nasty drywall that’s cracking where the light / opener is ceiling mounted, among other spots.”source ↗
“Is it mold? The worst of it, the white, is concentrated in that one corner opposite my bed, but there are kind of brown spots everywhere-ish.”source ↗
“I took care of that and already redirected it. Now I’m just trying to lazily patch a hole.”source ↗
“How it looks doesn’t even matter to me honestly. I remember when I was a kid and something similar happened in school they put like a plastic material on the ceiling to cover the whole. I’d do that but I don’t remember what it was exactly”source ↗
“I wasn't sure since there's an attic above. Should I use some specific kind of screws? How many screws on each side?”source ↗
“For the ceiling would you demo and replace or try to retain what’s already there ?”source ↗
“I’m wondering why these dirty bits of plastic were left on as it makes it look unfinished.”source ↗
“Wondering if me expecting the roofing company to clean this up is reasonable, or if that would be the landlord’s job by once the repair was done.”source ↗
“After 2 months of popping - usually early in the morning and late at night, I see drywall fasteners coming to surface in the ceiling.”source ↗
“A tenant just texted me today about this ceiling damage from the storm. It looks like there may be a roof leak.”source ↗
“Do you think this is something our maintenance guy can handle, or should we hire a contractor?”source ↗
“Should we cut out the damaged section and replace the drywall, or is there a better way to fix it?”source ↗
“Toilet clogged and spilled a good amount of water on the floor. The gypse in the ceiling below cracked on a joint.”source ↗
“I opened to ceiling, some trusses are a bit moist, and the cardboard behind the gypse too, but it's pretty clean. should I do anything more than just letting dry?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Repeated hail damage to asphalt roofs
- 44How to tell if a damaged roof needs replacing before winter
- 5How do I fix a warped or bulging ceiling in a bathroom?
- 2Rotted roof decking and mold around chimney
- 21Uneven shingles and bulges after new roof replacement
- 11Can I fix a damaged baseboard or do I have to replace it?