Indentations in ceiling, 2 sets of two in a straight line, likley on the joists

Hi,

I have two spots on the ceiling of a bedroom that look like small indentations. You can see them pretty clearly when the overhead light on the ceiling is turned on, but not as noticeable during the daytime or when the ceiling light is not on.

Above the bedroom is an attic space, nothing is stored up there. I believe this is just the drywall sagging slightly, and pulling away from the nails. Sag is not really noticeable, but you can see the drywall seams when the ceiling light is on. As with the nail divots, not noticeable in standard daylight.

I think I can fix this by putting some screws in on either side of the divots to reinforce the drywall, but wanted to see if this seems like the right way to fix this.

 

Without seeing what you see it's hard to say. If its "2 spots" like you say then it's probably the indentation from a drywall hammer which in time will turn into a dimple as the drywall around it sags. If that's the case, yes you'd need to screw the drywall on either side of the dimple, then you'd fill in the dimple with a couple coats of mud, then lightly sand. Wiping with a wet sponge before you primer and paint can help minimize the noticable appearance of the repair. But be aware repairs often stand out due to the change in texture and sheen... especially in certain lighting conditions.

If the 2 spots are LONG indentations parallel to the joists, and look like long shadows, that's the drywall sagging between joists, and it's a lot harder to hide.

 

Thanks - I should have thought to include pictures, but posting those now. I think my main concern is whether a few screws are going to secure things, or am I in a spot where I need to consider a bigger job replacing the drywal ceiling.

 

Yeah it just needs a few screws.