From Plat to Place
The Step By Step Home Construction Site
Step 42 - Nail and Screw Pops
The Most Popular Way to Fix Nail Pops in Drywall
Drywall is one of the most important parts of any construction build because it forms the walls and ceilings that make up the side and top partitions, respectively, of a home, office, or space. Placed properly, drywall can serve as the perfect canvas for a homeowner to begin brushing on their paint color of choice or hang up their carefully selected wallpaper to customize the room. Over time, however, the drywall found in a home or office may develop problems such as warping due to water damage seeping into the material or popped nails due to shrinkage. While the former may need actual drywall replacement, the latter may not require as much.
Many people think that the most popular way to fix nail pops in drywall is by simply grabbing your hammer and whacking away at the nails every time one of them pops out. This is deemed a quick fix but by no means is it supposed to be considered a permanent one. You certainly would not want to wait until someone's clothes get caught against one of the popped nails or, even worse, someone gets injured. What is required here is more than a temporary remedy. Getting it repaired the first time you notice the nail pops will save you from further headaches.
Things We Learned Along The Way
The Most Popular Way to Fix Nail Pops in Drywall
It is human nature to find an easy way out of every problem encountered in life, whether it is big or small. Same thing goes with screw pops. People are always thinking of the easiest way to fix screw pops in drywall. Who would not want it anyway? Who would like to waste time spending an ample amount of energy and time just to fix an irritating screw pop. Not unless, you really have nothing to do with your life and attending to screw pops is the only thing to keep you busy. But even just the thought of it does not sound right. Imagine, waking up every day with the sound of pounding in your house. Your family might just not be too happy about it. They will not be too happy either to wake up and realize that the wall had given in because of too much pounding. You have to be aware that if you fix the screw pops the wrong way, it might cause a shift in the entire wall which means that you can expect more nail pops after. So it is always important to remember that the first time you do it, you should do it the right way. Here is one of the easiest and perhaps the only easiest way to fix screw pops in drywall.
Before you begin, make sure that you have the following materials ready so that you do not have to waste time searching around for them once you start: drywall nails or screws, drywall compound, primer, and the paint that is already on the wall. The tools you will need include a hammer or screwdriver, a nail set, a taping knife, a paintbrush, and sandpaper. Once you have everything gathered together, just follow the following easy steps:
1. Remove the popped nails by digging them out with your hammer's claw. Be careful not to damage the actual drywall. You can then drive a new nail into the stud by using the nail set until it has gone in as far as possible. If you have drywall screws, simply do the same thing using your screwdriver or drill.
2. Add nails or screws an inch or so from the original ones so as to ensure that the drywall itself will stay in place even if a nail or screw pops out again. The nails should not just be flush with the walls but imbedded just enough to cause a dimpling effect. With drywall screws, countersinking naturally occurs so there is nothing to worry about.
3. Once you have all your nails or screws in place, you can begin to place spackling compound using your putty knife. Make sure to cover all the nail heads or screw heads and to fill in any and all holes you find. Allow the spackling to dry, and put another coat of compound on all the areas and then sand the areas lightly. Use primer before painting over all spackled areas.
The most popular way to fix nail pops in drywall may not always work so go with the most effective instead.
For a more precise step-by-step method:
The things you will need:
Screwdriver or drill
Drywall Compound
Spackle blade
Paint
Sand Paper
Procedure: 1. Scrape the old compound of the screw and use a screwdriver to tighten it. If it turns and will not go in, it is already broken. The head of the screw had already been separated from its body and you have to dig it out.
2. Take the pressure off the screw pop by putting another screw an inch above the pop and another one an inch below the pop.
3. Use a spackle blade to spread a thin layer of compound over the holes. Let the compound dry.
4. Look for any sign of dents on the repaired area or if the compound has shrunk. If so, you may need to reapply another coating of compound.
5. Lightly sand the area.
6. Brush off excess particles in the area.
7. Paint it using a primer first.
8. Primers help the compound not to absorb too much of your top coat of paint. Some paint serves as a primer also. The key here is to perfectly blend your work with the surrounding drywall for you to hide the drywall patch.
9. Paint the same shade as the entire wall. If the wall has a drywall texture, retexture the damaged area first before painting it.
The easiest way to fix screw pops in drywall is not just to strike the screw pops with a hammer or drive the screw back in, it is about knowing what caused it first before you start pounding the wall. As they always say, prevention is better than a cure. Always remember to find the possible cause of the screw pop. The average homeowner can fix a screw pop as long as you have the proper plan, materials and tool, and patience.