Nail pops why they happen and how to fix them

How to repair drywall nail pops, a step by step repair.

[@spkelley7098]

Your videos are the most informative and concise how-to's I've come across! Greatly appreciated!

[@tomgorycki7176]

Thanks! One of the best, most informative videos out there.

[@StanStallings]

+Tom Gorycki Your very welcome, and Thank You for your comment. Thank you for watching.

[@pattyhernandez5432]

Loved watching your video, short but very sweet and to the point!

[@codyq0987]

Your videos are of very high quality and thank you!

[@faaradar]

Thanks. Have seen alot of guys doing it wrong creating more issues. Your video was detailed and showed how to do it correctly. Also liked seeing the old time way of nail on top of it fix, had not seen that before.

[@StanStallings]

Thank you for your comment. and thank you for watching!

[@mikeross111]

Thank You for the video. I feel confident in tackling this job myself now....

[@user-bi6uf7bn4x]

Thank you. Best way to explain and teach. One could understand step by step.

[@StanStallings]

Thank you for your comment and thank you for watching!

[@Jabbe7]

I have been watching e few of your drywall videos... They arre the best! Love how you explain where to apply preassure on the tools etc. Thank you!

[@StanStallings]

+Jabbe7 Your very welcome, I'm happy the video's can help you. Thank you for watching.

[@nene1964]

This is the best video for this

[@blancatirado576]

Thanks you Stan great job.

[@dean3583]

Fantastic idea to drill a new screw close to the bad one. Btw, A stud finder from any hardware stores helps to locate the centre of the stud so you don't have to drill a screw into empty space.

[@DivisionStreetDrums]

Great video Thank You

[@-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-...]

best nail pop vid on KZbin

[@daniellidawer3624]

Thanks for the helpful video

[@StanStallings]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching.

[@TheMusicscotty]

Perfect!

[@user-gb9js6cp6v]

Awesome

[@wishyouwerebeer]

match texture?

[@floritatv]

Thanks for your video. I'm worry as in my house around the walls and celling shows some nails coming off... is that normal? Is in different parts of the house and was built just only 2 years ago

[@pups4chumps]

they should have used screws if it was only 2 years ago

[@dwightdorn8253]

Professional

[@tubealloys3494]

Removing nail easier said then done!

[@FireMrshlBill]

We have been noticing a lot of these in our ceilings, including new ones popping up. My house is about 23yrs old, we've owned it for nearly 5 years now. I noticed a few new ones in my basement ceiling today, and my kids were jumping around a lot in the room above earlier. Others have been popping up on the main floor too, especially under my kids' rooms. I wonder if them bouncing around, along with humidity/temp changes, is causing it?

[@StanStallings]

It's hard to say, one problem with wood is it shrinks when it's dries out. That causes a very small gap between the sheet rock and the wood frame. The only thing you can do is fix them when they start to bother you. My house is 3 years old and I have a few that are going to pop. Nail pops are just going to happen. screws pop less but they still pop sometimes. Let the kids have fun, they will only be with you for a few short years and when they go off to collage you will have all the time in the world to fix nail a screw pops. Good luck, thank you for your comment. Thank you for watching.

[@blessngifted]

I had the same concerns. With pandemic my kids are wearing out the house faster.

[@tbez357]

What is the best way to match the texture of the patched area to the surrounding wall? Even smooth drywall painted with a roller has a slight texture to it. When patching and sanding a nail pop, the area patched often looks a little smoother than the rest of the wall. thx

[@Maghanashi]

You can use a dry sponge and lightly pat it to give it some texture, or you can sand an area around the patch and roll it so it matches in a broader area. Difficult to make it match exactly, though oftentimes it's only the person who repaired it who can see the difference because they know it's there.

[@yepper1165]

Usually you have to skim and sand the whole wall then repaint to have all of it the same texture.

[@justinpainter4298]

Question: I have about 20-30 screw pops that all seem to be within my bedroom and walk in closet. There are 2-3 in the ceiling too. Is this normal? The house was built in 2017.

[@StanStallings]

Yes, not all studs are dry when the house is built. It take time for it all to normalize, during that time some studs shrink more than others which causes the problem. how ever some times the drywaller only catches the side of the stud and in time it pops as well. It's called home ownership, sooner or later there is always something to repair. Thank for your comment and thank you for watching!

[@T25de]

So that’s wtf is going on with my wall Hahaha. Thanks

[@StanStallings]

You are very welcome, thank you for watching!

[@leslienorato8640]

A tree fell on my home and we noticed popped nails/screws all throughout the house. We brought it up to the contractor, but he just painted over them. We can still see them and some popped even more noticeably after our siding was replaced. He should’ve fixed them, right?

[@StanStallings]

Sorry to here that, so the contractor didn't re-screw the drywall but just patched them? Some times when the structure of the house is hit with a large object like a tree it damages the area around the screw and makes it more prone to keep working through the finish. If it does put a screw above or below the popped nail or screw and refinish it. You could re-screw the hole wall and then re-finish the whole thing. talk to your insurance company because the goal is to bring the house back to what it was before the tree fill on it. I hope this helps, good luck. Thank you for watching!

[@leslienorato8640]

@@StanStallings He didn’t patch them at all, only painted over them. I assumed some patchwork would be done so thank you for the information, it’s truly helpful!

[@Jorge-ew5dc]

How do you know if you will need a 4th coat of mud or not? Thanks, I have this problem as well as some ceiling issues and I am trying to do it all myself.

[@StanStallings]

As mud (AKA Joint compound) dry’s, it shrinks a little. IT typically take”s 3 coats to bring it to flat making it flush to the wall. one way to check is to shine a light at an angle across the wall. The light will show you the highs and lows. Thank you for watching.

[@Jorge-ew5dc]

Stan Stallings Thank you sir.

[@BobsHomeServicesLLC]

You should also always use your hands. Run your fingers over the area as your hands will feel every little imperfection that even your eyes cannot see. If you feel a ridge, sand lightly, if you feel a depression, add more mud.

[@stevethomas3656]

I glued every board when I put them up. Can I just remove the screw and fill hole??

[@StanStallings]

There is a reason why the nail popped, removing the screw is fine, but as long as your patching the wall anyway, put in another screw in the stud about 2" higher, this will help keep the back paper from sepperrating from the gypsum in time. Thank you for your comment and thank you for watching

[@barbie7034]

Stan can you come over and fix my wall? Lol

[@Bloudan54]

Hi A question Is it normal for a 1 year old house to have about or more than 200 nail pops and tape from about 7 corners peel and builder agreed to fix but not repaint the house Is he right ?

[@StanStallings]

No it's not normal. We live in a hurry up world and some people in to big a hurry to do a good job. if the house is still under warrenty they should fix the whole thing, talk with someone at the building department, find out what your oppions are. Standard warranty is one year. Good luck! Thank you for watching.

[@jose3865]

I have the same issue at my house. It's been 10 months since the house is build. I feel that it will happen at all my house. They only give me one year warranty.

[@cwrowe]

4 coats? How thin are you mixing your compound?

[@StanStallings]

Thick at first and thin at the end but not to thin to be runny.. Let it dry and lightly sand. Thanky you for watching.

[@thevez51]

Simplest. Doesn't seem intimidating.

[@JH-uy4rg]

I have these all over my house it seems like , I have a older home. Is this normal?

[@StanStallings]

On older home, YES. The older homes were all nailed, as the lumber in our homes dry, they shrink and when the lumber shrinks it separates from the drywall, then someone bump the drywall and the nail head pops through the surface of the drywall. it's sad but happens even to the best homes, it's just one of those things. The other thing that happens is if you live in an area that is very rainy at times and then very dry the lumber in your home will be affected. it's just part of owning a home, it happens. Thank you for your comment and thank you for watching.

[@magx1]

Why was it done differently 35 years ago, why was this the only way and why isn't it still done this way?

[@NOLIFEWITHOUTMUSIC1]

Can you just put a screw in the hole where you removed the nail?

[@StanStallings]

The problem is that the drywall around the old hole is weak and a new nail will pull threw. Its best to relocate the screws above and below the old hole. Thank you for watching.

[@jamezason]

Can poor attic moisture also cause nail pops?

[@StanStallings]

I don't know, I've always lived in a dry area. It's best to have a well-ventilated attic. I know that lumber swells and contracts with the seasons and a hi humidity season may have an effect. May sure the roof doesn’t leak and the attic is well ventilated. Good luck and thank you for watching.

[@FD-dh2fu]

How do you match texture?

[@StanStallings]

What kind of texture do You have?

[@FD-dh2fu]

Regular flat wall. Sheet rock

[@StanStallings]

@@FD-dh2fu A regular flat wall has the texture that comes with rolling the paint on. Look at the existing texture and determine what length of nape was used. typicaley a medium should work well, so make a judgment call and do the best you can. Good luck and thank you for watching.

[@almas7123]

35 yrs ago nail over nail... Today remove old nail instead, but why? Most videos like this one make it look simple by just adding plaster. What about texture? Most homes where I'm from have orange peel texture. How do you match your texture without anyone noticing.

[@Jimk0756]

I've had great luck with a product from Homax. You can adjust the nozzle to match the texture. Feather it into the surrounding area. Looks GREAT!

[@tylerdenitto1494]

My cealing in my living room.is starting to get a lot of these nail pops idk how serious it is what do u think?

[@StanStallings]

How old is the house? There are 2 reasons for nail pops that I can think of, 1 the nail or screw did not get a good bite in the frame, maybe on the side of it and over time it came lose. 2 lumber shrinks in time and a gap develops between the lumber and the drywall. Most of the time it's because of improper nailing or a screw that caught the side of the lumber but now has broke lose, a house is always breathing - expanding and contracting to a small degree and over time this can have an affect on your drywall. how big of a problem is it? I don't know, how much dose it bother you? If it dose, fix it other wise wait until it's time to paint but fix it before you paint. Thank you for commenting and watching.

[@KP1972]

But what if you have textured walls?

[@StanStallings]

You still need to fix the problem then try to fix or match the texture. If its a light spray, then there are some products for that if not do the best you can or egnore the problem but it won't go away. good luck. Thank you for watching!

[@RS-rz5pr]

are nail pops something i need to worry about. especially if i am noticing them more and the house is 50+ years old.

[@StanStallings]

+Rocky Stone No need to worry, after 50 yrs the nails that were going to pop have already done so. Just fix the ones you see. good luck and thank you for watching.

[@ShooterMedic1818]

What about rusty nails in a bathroom?

[@StanStallings]

+ShooterMedic If you have rusty nails in the bathroom you have a bigger problem, the room isn't drying out after someone takes a shower. Make sure that you have an exhaust fan that runs for about 20 minutes after some one leaves. Keep the door to the bathroom open if you can, it's hard to do that if you have dogs and small children. the rust on the nail can be spot painted with Kilz stain block primer or Zinsser stain blocker primer, (I like them both). keep a good coat of paint on your bathroom walls and ceiling, I hope this helps, if it dosen't let me know more about your problem and what is going on. Thank you for watching!

[@ShooterMedic1818]

+Stan Stallings hey thanks for the quick reply. I don't that that's the case because I have a couple in other rooms as well and the bathroom gets great ventilation and is only about 5 years old. I will do the primer spot touch ups and patch it and let you know how it goes. thanks again!

[@thomaswayneward]

This is NOT why nails or screws "pop", because they really don't pop, if the nail or screw is the proper length.

[@StanStallings]

Yes they really don't pop! It just seams that way because one day you don't notice it and then one day you do. Thank you for your comment and thank you for watching.

[@DonnieFreymoyer]

And it only took 12 tries to fill it too lol

[@MrRidleyDog]

This is absolutely wrong, you have to cover that cut out area with mesh tape. Also, nails do not pop just from "misses" they pop because of time and environmental factors. Nailing was a very poor way to attach drywall, but it was all they had at first, now with screws things are a lot better.

[@dickhertz8103]

Who wants to do this 3 times??? Not me...the hell with this job!!! After learning all the shit labor that goes into the fix...now the nail pop does not look so bad after all!!!