How to Fix Nail Pops in Drywall

You notice them especially when the light is raking low across the wall. They look bad, but never bad enough to do anything conclusive about it—yet. You may even have tried pounding them back it, but they always seem to come back.

These are wall and ceiling nail pops. Rarely a major issue but more annoying than anything: the protrusions you see speckled across your wall and ceiling are the result of drywall nails that have slowly worked their way out.

Nail pops are cosmetic imperfections that sometimes show up in drywall ceilings and interior walls that have been fastened with nails. Nail pops rarely affect your wall's structure, though in great enough numbers your wall might lose a section of drywall.

Wall nail pops are so easy and inexpensive to fix, you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.

Causes of Drywall Nail Pops

Modern drywall systems are largely installed with drywall screws. Drywall screws may occasionally snap off but they will never pop out. Instead, the nail pops in your ceiling and walls are caused by short drywall nails that are no longer firmly attached in the two-by-four studs.

Most houses built prior to the 1970s that have not been subsequently remodeled will almost always have drywall hung with nails, not drywall screws. Made of galvanized steel and with a broad head, drywall nails generally range from 1 1/8-inch to 1 7/8-inch long. Even if you have walls that have been built after the 1970s, you might still have wallboard hung with drywall nails, since some drywall installers prefer to use nails.

As the wood studs dry out over time, the wood fibers lose their grip and are no longer able to hold the smooth shank of the drywall nail. The nails protrude, usually bringing drywall compound filler and paint with them. It is usually fruitless to pound the nails back in place because the wood will not hold the shank.

Before You Begin

The concept behind fixing nail pops is to place drywall screws (not nails) on both sides of the nail pop, one above the nail and one below so that the screws meet the stud. This effectively replaces the nail with the screws.

Pounding in the nail after adding the drywall screws is simply a cosmetic fix. The nail is no longer there to hold the drywall in place. Pounding in the nail is easier and less damaging to the wall or ceiling than trying to dig it out.

Know in advance that additional nail pops may form along the stud you are working on or those adjacent to it because your repairs are disturbing the wallboard and causing it to move. It helps, too, to have a strong light source aimed at a low angle across the wall, as this will help you quickly identify protrusions.