How To Fix Nail Pops In Walls And Ceilings

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HomeHome, Auto, & Hobbies ArticlesHome Improvement & Appliances ArticlesWalls & Painting ArticlesHow to Fix Nail Pops in Walls and CeilingsByNo items found.Updated2016-03-27 13:48:22From the bookNo items found.Share

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Fixing nail pops is a common home repair. Nail pops are bumps or crescent-shaped cracks in walls and ceilings. Knowing how to fix nail pops properly helps keep new ones from forming in the same place.

Nail pops are caused when construction nails work themselves loose, literally popping out from the surface of the drywall. The popped nail pushes out a bit of drywall or paint, creating a small bump or crack. Every home gets nail pops. If you get one, you need to fix it.

Gather your materials.

You’ll need a hammer, a drill or screwdriver, a nail set, 1-5/8-inch drywall screws, 1-5/8-inch drywall nails, drywall compound, and a putty knife.

Drive new drywall screws a couple of inches on either side of the nail pop.

Be sure to put the screws into the wall stud or ceiling joist. The screws will tighten the drywall. The new screws should barely dimple into the drywall.

Drive a new nail immediately adjacent to the popped nail using the hammer and nail set.

Try to nail the new nail as close to the original hole as you can. The head of the new nail will overlap the old nail, preventing the old nail from slipping out again. Slightly recess the new nail (about a 1/16 of an inch).

Apply a coat of compound over the new fasteners and the old nail.

With the 6-inch taping knife, make the coating smooth and flat. Let the compound dry completely.

Sand the patch.

Lightly sand the patch with the fine-grit sandpaper.

Apply a second coat of compound.

Let the compound dry, and then lightly sand it again.

Paint over the patch with primer.

Don’t skip this step or you’ll end up with a permanently goofy-looking, non-matching area.

Apply touch up paint to the patch in your wall color.

This is why you saved that half a gallon of leftover wall paint.

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