My friend has a problem with his exterior walls showing up the framing silhouette from beneath the drywall. The drywall screws have not popped, but each is distinctly visible. As a builder myself, and certified designer, I wanted to reassure him that he didn’t have a major problem, but I must admit that his particular situation is quite unique. I walked through his house when it was under construction, and there were no real flaws in the workmanship. Can you offer any advice, or have you seen this before? He is now in the process of repainting with darker tones in an effort to hide the obvious.

I call this problem ghosting and it’s caused by heat and dust. Heat moves through drywall and a wall’s stud area more freely than through the space between the studs because of insulation in the cavity, which results in a temperature difference. The colder areas then seem to attract very small particles of dust - soot from burning candles and combustion appliances can be a big contributor.
To control this problem you should have your combustion appliances checked annually for proper venting of exhaust gases, and stop burning candles or using electrical scented devices. The use of darker colours can reduce the visibility of ghosting, but if you don’t tackle the causes of the problem, it will reappear.