How To Repair Nail Pops

Over the course of time, it is normal for drywall screws or nails to loosen. As this happens, the drywall moves, pushing the head of the nail or screw outward, which causes a bubble or blister in your drywall. This is known as a “nail pop.” Although these might look unsightly or severe, they really aren’t – the right drywall repair techniques can help get the bumps out of your drywall and be touched up with paint to match the rest of your wall.

Here are a few steps to get you started with repairing the nail pop in your drywall:

Find your framing

in many cases, there will be several nail pops in one concentrated area. If they are all happening along one general path, this is because the frame is located directly behind the nail pops. Use your fingers to tap the drywall and locate the framing (a hollow sound indicates there is no framing behind the drywall – tap until you find sharper sound, there should be a hollow noise on either side of it).

Re-secure the drywall

use two drywall screws to reattach the drywall to the framing you just found. Each of the screws should be placed a few inches above and below the nail pop.

Depress the nail pop

carefully, use a hammer or nail punch to make contact with the nail pop and depress it into your drywall. Gather the associated broken material using a drywall knife.

Coat the area

cover the head of your screws and the damaged area with mud. You’ll want to use two coats to ensure it is properly covered.

Sand and touch up the area

the final step is using sandpaper to lightly sand the area until it is even with the surrounding drywall surface. Once this is finished, you may apply primer and paint to freshen-up the area and cover the spot.

By scheduling a professional drywall contractor, you can focus your efforts and skills on the parts of the renovation project you find most enjoyable.