How to Repair Nail Pops in Drywall

You've seen them before, right? The silver-dollar-sized concave, or sometimes convex, circles on your drywall ceilings and walls? These are often called nail pops because the drywall nail or screw that fastens the gypsum panel to the wood studs or floor joists has “popped” a hole that you now have to repair.

The repair is not too hard, but there are a few steps you need to take if you only want to repair and repaint this area once. I've got a saying in my weekly AsktheBuilder.com newsletter that applies here: Do It Right, Not Over!

This column was SO HELPFUL that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my March 22, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

If you don't take the time to fix the core problem, no matter how many times you patch the nail pop(s) they'll come back like your unwanted relatives over Christmas.

Degree of Difficulty: Two Hammers out of Five

Step One: Gather the following tools and supplies for this easy repair job -

• Phillips screwdriver
• razor knife
• small or medium pry bar
• stud finder
• safety glasses
• one wood shim
• several 1 and 5/8 or 1 and 1/4 drywall screws with coarse threads
• 6-inch drywall taping knife
• small roll of paper drywall tape
• drywall mud pan
• ready-mix joint drywall joint compound
• fine-grit sanding block
• drywall primer / sealer and painting tools

Step Two: Have a helper hold a flashlight shining at a low angle across the nail pop when the room is somewhat dark. Press lightly on the drywall next to the nail pop to see if the damage area flexes. It almost always does. This is a good sign if it does. If it doesn't flex, all of the following steps apply.

Step Three: Use your stud finder to confirm the direction the ceiling joists are going and to confirm the center of the joists or wall studs. Do this on either side of the nail pop and mark the center of the wood framing under the drywall at these locations.

Step Four: This is the most important step. You need to remove the pesky nail or screw that's inside the nail-pop area. When you push against the drywall, and if it flexes, you may see the exact location of the fastener. Use your razor knife, if necessary to cut the drywall paper to locate the fastener head. If a screw, use your screwdriver to extract it. If a traditional ring-shanked drywall nail, use your pry bar to pull it. Be sure to place the thick end of the wood shim under the pry bar to prevent crushing the drywall while extracting the nail. Place the wood shim directly over the wall stud or ceiling joist.

Step Five: With the nail or screw out of the wood, inspect the drywall pop to see if the gypsum core under the paper has been turned to powder or small chunks by the original installer or your valiant DIY repair efforts.

If you sense the gypsum core is fractured or damaged, you must cut this damaged area out. Carefully use your razor knife for this task and be sure you're wearing your safety glasses, or even goggles, if working on a ceiling. The last thing you need is a $1,000 trip to the ER to remove gypsum from your eye or to repair a scratched cornea - the voice of experience talking! Save the painted piece of drywall from this task so you can take it to a paint store to match the wall or ceiling color.

Step Six: It's now time to secure the drywall to the wood framing. Use your drywall screws for this. The screw needs to penetrate solid wood at least 3/4 of an inch. Place the screw in the center of the wood framing and keep it at least 1 inch away from the edge of the nail pop area. Put a screw on either side of the nail pop area. Be sure you hold the drywall against the wood framing as you drive the screw the last quarter inch. The screw head needs to be slightly below the surface of the drywall, but no so much you tear the paper around the fastener head.

Step Seven: Use premixed drywall joint compound to fill the nail pop area and cover the new screws. If you've exposed the gypsum core, be sure it's dust-free before you apply the joint compound. It's a good idea to use drywall tape in these instances. Finish the nail pop area with multiple coats of joint and finish compound and sand until the area is in the same plane as the rest of the drywall.

Step Eight: Paint the repaired area with a real drywall primer / sealer paint made for new drywall. Make sure the patched area is free of sanding dust before you paint. Finish the job with matching wall paint.

Summary: While this DIY job seems hard, all of the steps are very easy. Be sure the drywall is tight against the wood framing when you re-secure it. This will ensure the nail pop will never again haunt you!

Column HT038