Nail Pops – What are They and What Causes Them?

Nail pops may be a cause of concern for those unfamiliar with them.

But don’t worry! They’re not as bad as they look.

What Are Nail Pops?

Nail pops are those small circles that protrude from the drywall of walls and ceilings. So, yes, you may find them on your ceiling, but do not immediately become worried that the roof is damaged.

In most cases, nail pops are actually just an aesthetic problem.

They are also fairly easy to fix for trained professionals.

Nail pops, which are also called popped nails, appear because they are slowly being pushed out of the drywall. Nail pops don’t usually protrude very far, often 1/8 of an inch.

A quick way to identify nail pops is cracked paint, which usually indicates a popped nail, but it doesn’t have to. If you want to look around your house for nail pops, look for small, rather circular spots of paint that look pushed up from the rest. It almost looks like a blister, but for your walls.

Lastly, nail pops are found in drywall but they won’t be found in plaster walls, so if you have plaster walls you won’t have to worry about them.

What Causes Nail Pops?

Nail pops are caused by the wood underneath shifting around. It doesn’t have to be a big shift, but it just needs to be a big enough shake or twist to pop nails out of place. Earthquakes aren’t a huge problem on the eastern seaboard, but if you lived in California, you would have a higher chance of nail pops.

However, a big shake like from an earthquake or storm is not the only thing that will pop a nail, and it’s not the usual suspect, either. What most often happens is that the wood stud that the nails are attached to dries out over time.

This warps the wood and changes it ever so slightly. Eventually, since the wood bends from drying, the wood fibers lose their grip on the nail and pops through the drywall. Nail pops usually bring drywall compound filler and paint with them, so they can be quite easy to spot.

I Have a Bunch of Nail Pops, Now What?

So first, don’t go hammering away at them to try to pop the nails back into place. That simply will not work due to the wood’s shifting. You could try a DIY solution, but it might quickly turn into DIWhy.

Instead, let a professional help you fix your nail pops, please call us now at 610-818-7920 for help!