In the downstairs of the house we have a living room. I recently noticed that on the ceiling there appears to me many nail pops. They form a 4 X4 grid. I also noticed on the exterior wall there are also nail pops.
My mother recently had a wall paper/painter come in and “fix” some of the pops. It looks to me like he just took the paint off the top, pounded the nail back in then painted over it.
Am I safe to assume this won’t fix the problem and it will return?
It may solve the problem. It may not. Nails can work their way out over time that’s why we tend to prefer drywall screws over nails. If you can pull the existing nail out it would be better to replace it with a screw. Sometimes the nails are stubborn and it is best to just nail them back in rather then risk making it a larger project.
Some folks will reset the nail just deep enough into the drywall, essentially ruining it’s holding power, but getting it out of sight while not leaving a gaping wound. Before doing that, you want to drive in two drywall screws into the stud on either side (away by several inches of the ail) of the one you are going to sink.
Remember, when you drive in the new screws, do not drive below the paper layer of the drywall, but drive them just far enough in to leave a dimple that you can spackle over.
drive in two screws, one on each side, and into the stud, leaving several inches distance from the nail in question
hammer the nail in question well below the surface (so it gets a new bite), but don’t go crazy. It will provide a firm foundation for the drywall and spackling paste.
go over all three holes with spackling paste.
boytyperanma and Philster thanks for your replies. Because I’m a klutz I refuse to get on ladders so I will wait for problems to occur and then suggest hiring someone to do to job correctly.
The house is about 33 years old now.