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Nail Pops?

JimVonBaden

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Dec 2, 2011
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Northern Virginia
How do you handle them with the least amount of mess?

NailPop2.jpg

NailPop1.jpg


If possible, I would prefer to push these in with minimal damage and paint touch-up.

So, what tricks do you have?

Thanks,
 
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NUTTSGT

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I've been told they pop when the structure shifts and settles. :dunno:

If those are nails, they'll probably pop back out at a later date. If it were mine, I'd try to remove the nail and replace with a longer drywall screw. Patch/paint.

I'm sure they guys that do this stuff all the time will chime in with more information.
 
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JimVonBaden

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I've been told they pop when the structure shifts and settles. :dunno:

If those are nails, they'll probably pop back out at a later date. If it were mine, I'd try to remove the nail and replace with a longer drywall screw. Patch/paint.

I'm sure they guys that do this stuff all the time will chime in with more information.

Unfortunately I have dozens. My house was not built to custom house standards, with screws, I am sure. It is now just over two years old.

Thanks,
 

ratdoggy

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Akron-Canton area OH
Welcome to the club. My house has a bunch as it was built in 2009. I'm going to hammer the nail back in with a punch and drive in some screws that overlap the nail head keeping it in and then spackle and paint the rooms one at a time. Maybe someone has a better idea. Why do they use nails at all? Because they are quick and new home warranties don't cover nail pops probably
 

mercman86

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Chicago area, Illinois
I have a few in my house, mostly in the front room at the top of the wall along the ceiling. My house was built in 1969 and has the original drywall, I guess its to be expected. I hammered some of them back in, put some spackle over them and painted. They look ok.
 

gungatim

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west mich
I have some and was told to expect it when my house was built. My drywall contractor suggested perimeter nail with glue everywhere else. It seemed to work but do have some pops in the ceiling. Was told it will happen as the 2by material shrinks and expands pushing the nail out but would eventually stop. I just pulled the offending nails and put screws then spackle and touch up the paint.
 

Blk88GT

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Manitoba
My house that was built in 09 has them, but they used screws. I'm told that you should dig out the putty, run the screw in further as required and patch/sand/paint.

Sound like a solid plan?
 

DonnyT

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Upstate
You can tap the nails back in leaving a small dimple in the drywall and then screw in a drywall screw catching the head of the nail so it will NOT pop out again. Once you have done this you can patch with joint compound. No need to take out the nail.
 

Herb

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CT
Yeah, nail pops, screws do it too. My house was framed in 8/99 and the sheetrock was hung 8/2000. I moved into the house the following October and the pops started "popping" 6 months later. I thought that letting the house sit for a year before the drywall went up would help eliminate this, but boy was I wrong. Every screw or nail where they were used, on every stud and every rafter has popped- EVERY one, even in the bathroom where the drywall was screwed to strapping (ceiling). Pretty damn discouraging! I have been going room to room adding a screw next to the existing one, digging out the compound of the old one and filling the holes. I've also had to repair the corner beading mud work because of the pops. The walls are also being fully sanded, primed, sanded, primed, sanded and painted, sanded and painted a second coat. I'm on the fourth room now, the bathroom, and I've decided to try skim coating the wall to save some sanding. I wish I skim coated the other walls as I have found that in the finished product it is actually less work than sanding the original latex paint and leaves a very nice finish. I really hate thinking about moving to each successive room and I'm always ready to say F*** IT!!!, but when that second coat of paint rolls out, wow it really looks great and I get enthusiasm again to move on. BTW, the primer I'm using is SW wall and wood primer, and the finish paint has been Duration so far, but the next room will be their Emerald line which seems to be a step up from Duration. I really, really, like the way the paint lays down and how durable it has been for the other rooms. One thing that I have done in the addition I added and hung the drywall in, was to use a full bead of construction adhesive on every stud and rafter. Guess what, ten years later and no pops, no cracks!
 
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JimVonBaden

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You guys are not giving me the warm fuzzy. Some of my nail pops are 20' in the ceiling. I would rather leave them than start digging holes and spackling and needing to repaint the entire interior of the house. :mad:
 
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RivennHewn

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My house is a '48 model complete with numerous nail pops.

I pretend that they add charm and character.
 

Highbeam

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Mt Rainier foothills, WA
Just pound them back in flush. Don't use a waffle head hammer. IF it comes back out then you are no worse off. I have had surprisingly good luck with this on my 1963 built house.
 

EOC_Jason

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Bentonville, AR
Why do they use nails at all?

If you've ever watched guys hang drywall on the ceiling, they typically use some nails just to get it held in place quickly, then come back with screws. I guess it would take extra effort to pull the nails out and put screws in those locations.

I would either try like a hammer that has a flat head, or maybe use a small punch or something with a point to minimize damage to the paint. If it works, great, if it doesn't then just bite the bullet and replace with screws and fix & paint.
 

RivennHewn

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Instead of trying to swing the hammer and hit the pop perfectly, use a small BP hammer and a mallet.

Place the smooth face on the nail head and hit it with the rubber mallet.
 

Dennis93

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Va Beach, VA
Do you still have the paint you used for the room. You should always keep a little extra handy for touch ups. Pound it back in with a punch and hammer and don't worry about it. Spackle and Paint over it. Yes, usually they put in nails to hold it up temporarily until they can screw it up. Just easier than having another guy hold it up while the other is screwing. (That sentence came out wrong)
 

1969

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You can tap the nails back in leaving a small dimple in the drywall and then screw in a drywall screw catching the head of the nail so it will NOT pop out again. Once you have done this you can patch with joint compound. No need to take out the nail.

Honestly, this is the correct answer. A close friend of mine has worked with drywall and mud most of his life......... seen him do this many times.
 
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JimVonBaden

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Do you still have the paint you used for the room. You should always keep a little extra handy for touch ups. Pound it back in with a punch and hammer and don't worry about it. Spackle and Paint over it. Yes, usually they put in nails to hold it up temporarily until they can screw it up. Just easier than having another guy hold it up while the other is screwing. (That sentence came out wrong)

I bought the house painted, so no spare paint. I really would prefer not to repaint the whole house.

I guess no one has come up with a workable tried and true solution other than pound or pull, screw and spackle, and repaint.
 

onewheat

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Knoxville, TN
My house that was built in 09 has them, but they used screws. I'm told that you should dig out the putty, run the screw in further as required and patch/sand/paint.

Sound like a solid plan?

You can get a 'nail pop' with a screw when the screw is run in too deep and the screw head penetrates the paper of the drywall.
 
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