Repair Nail Pops and Holes in Sheetrock

Drywall repair can be a headache.

For me it’s the pain of waiting for the darn joint compound to dry.

I’ve got two active kids who play sports and attend more birthday parties than Ronald McDonald!

So I can’t be messing around with DIY projects all day (even though I could because of my HUGE to do list).

Last weekend I repaired a nail pop in our bathroom wall and I wanted to show you the 5 minute joint compound that made this a fast fix.

Nail Pop Supply List

We’ve been in our house for 7 years and this popped nail has been there for probably 8.

It’s like a pimple, annoying when you have to see it every day.

And unfortunately it won’t go away after using Clearasil zit cream, I only wish.

Repairing a nail pop is easy: you need to remove the old nail or screw and add a new one.

Here are all the supplies I used for this project

• Putty Knife ($3)
• 6 Inch Joint Compound Knife ($8)
• Drywall Screws (coarse threaded 1 5/8 inch long screw) ($4)
• Fiberglass Mesh Tape ($4)
• Sheetrock 5 Minute Joint Compound (Setting Type) ($6)
• Mud Pan for Joint Compound ($14)
• Fine Grit Sanding Sponge ($3)
• Kilz Primer ($8)
• Latex Paint (FREE)
• Paint Stirrer (FREE)
• Weenie Roller ($10)
• Paint Screen for 1 Gallon Paint Can ($4)
• Towel (FREE)

Before you begin any drywall project make sure you’ve got leftover paint that matches your wall.

I made the mistake of not doing this and having to match the color and sheen of our orange dining room after installing the Nest thermostat (check out that tutorial here).

My wife was not happy.

Lesson learned, right.

Let me show you how I fixed this nail pop in no time 🙂

How to Remove and Patch a Nail Pop

My 11 year old daughter could do this project, it’s that easy.

Of course she would refuse but that’s to expected from a pre-teen, haha.

The first step is to locate the center of the popped nail or screw. You’ll need to do this so that you can remove it.

Dig through the joint compound using a putty knife.

Pull a popped nail using pliers or if you’ve got a drywall screw just back it out using a drill. Add a Phillips head bit to your drill and set it to turn counterclockwise.

In many cases the popped nail or screw was too short.

So a good fix is to add a new screw that’s longer.

I used a new coarse-threaded 1 5/8 inch drywall screw and placed it 1 1/2 inches above the location of of the old screw.

Wood studs require coarse-threaded drywall screws and metal studs need fine-threaded drywall screws.

This is a nuance of drywall work and nice to know 🙂

Tighten the new screw so that it barely makes a dimple in the drywall. The screw head should be slightly below the paper surface but not tear it.

A slightly dimpled screw is easy to fill in with the 5 minute joint compound and sand down flush with the adjacent wall.

Frankly, you could do this then prime and paint your wall.

However, if your wall is slightly damaged from removing the old nail or screw you should apply mesh tape.

I like to smear a thin layer of compound over the holes in the drywall then add the mesh tape. One side of the tape will be sticky and this is the side that goes on the wall.

Use the remaining 5 minute joint compound to cover the mesh tape. This will be your first coat of joint compound and it doesn’t need to be super thick.

Let the joint compound dry then apply a second layer with your 6 inch knife. It should look something like the picture below.

Allow this coat to dry and scrape off any joint compound ridges with your knife.

I like to use a sanding sponge for small jobs like this one.

Primarily because they’re easy to use and if you want to cut down on the dust you can wet the sponge.

Sand your drywall patch in a circular motion to taper the edges.

Prime the patch using a good primer, Kilz is my preferred brand but there a ton of great options out there.

If you don’t prime the joint compound your latex paint won’t stick. This is super bad and not fun (unlike the movie Super Bad which is a funny story about friends getting into teenage shenanigans).

Check out my video to see how to make short order of a small drywall fix like a popped nail or screw. I added a little family video in the middle for some giggles. My daughters crack me up.

What’s Next

Nail pops and holes in sheetrock happen all the time. Now you have the skills to fix them.

Our tutorial on how to fix a large hole in the wall also comes in handy – and will save you some serious bucks!

If you’re doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join one of our online courses – they’ll make your bathroom renovation much easier!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.

Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.

Cheers,

Jeff

1. Great tutorial! And so easy! But my issue is the dreaded texture on the walls! I’ve tried numerous spray products that are supposed to match the texture, they never do.

   Makes me go nuts seeing a bad patch job!
   Hope you can do a tutorial on that someday.

2. What about matching wall texture on drywall.

3. The tip about the dry wall coarse vs fine is awesome! I feel like I can talk smack now at the DIY stores. Only thing I would want to know is about clean up for the dust. I would probably lay some plastic down over my carpet and make a paper pocket out of a grocery bag to try to catch the dust before it hit. I hate that fine particles it floats on everything. Does wetting the sponge eliminate a lot of that?

   1. A trick I use is a small spray bottle of water set on mist. This is a great trick when just sweeping or vacuuming too. Just walk through the area and give the room (or just area) a spray down by spraying as high in the room towards the ceiling so the water droplets will catch it all the way down to the floor. This is especially great for those in the family with allergies, works wonderful on pollen too.

4. Hi Jeff,

   Nice video! Quick question, instead of removing the offending screw, why not drive it into the wall a little deeper and put joint compound over the head? I understand the need to add another screw to secure the drywall but it seems like removing the old screw will leave a bigger hole to fill.
   Keep up the good work,
   Susan

5. HOW ABOUT REPAINTING A DECK

   CAN I USE THAT SPREADING FOAM TO PATCH A HOLE IN THE STAIRS

6. Cool tutorial. When I fix nail pops I just use a nail set to recess the nail into the drywall then drive a drywall screw right above or below the nail so the screw head is partially covering the nail head. This keep the nail from coming out ever again and saves some time. Then I patch it up. Takes 5 minutes and is so ridiculously simple. I really like your tutorials, keep ’em coming!

7. I had no idea that there were so many little repairs you could make to drywall. I have a few dimpled screws so this was perfect. I’ll have to try that out to see if it helps. Thanks for sharing.

8. great advice with the nail poppers,,,thanks

9. Thanks for the info.

   I use that technique for stubborn cracks that keep reappearing (usually around window corners). The mesh tape stops future cracking.
   For nail or screw pops I found that if I knock it in further with a smooth head hammer and create a divit, the nail or screw will bite and hold. I patch the divit with joint compound 2 times (without the tape or mesh because the paper is still on the sheet rock). Once to fill the divit and another to smooth the area. I sand the area smooth. Then I add a spray texture out of a can (a little goes a long way) to match the existing texture. If you’re repairing a smooth wall, no spray texture is needed. Next, I prime the repaired area to seal it. If you skip this step the paint absorbs deeper and the color will look different even though it’s the same color. Also, if the paint on the wall is over a few months old, there may be some fading from UV light. You’ll may have to paint the entire wall or ceiling to the corners so it matches the rest of the room. Try painting the patch first and if your lucky, you’ll be done. If not, make sure you repair all the divits, dents, holes, etc… on the rest of the wall to get a clean professional look.
   I’ve used this process dozens of times and I’ve never had the pop reaccure. Jeff’s technique also works but I found that the thickness of the tape forces you to feather out the joint compound much further to make the patch look flat.
   Good luck and thanks for the article.
   Vince

10. Hi Jeff,

    I have several nail pops in my vaulted ceiling, right at the top. They showed up after we had a new roof put on. I was following your instructions but when I went to screw in the 1 5/8″ drywall screws they just spin in place, like there isn’t anything behind the drywall (except there is, because I met resistance less than halfway through screwing the screw in). This has happened 3 times now and I’m completely stumped. I keep having to catch my nail under the head of the screw to back it out (otherwise it just turns in place endlessly). Any suggestions?

11. You need help with drywall repair in your home,call an experts to solve this kind of problems.

12. Thanks for this very clear and thorough video. I have never repaired nail pops before and I was going to hammer down the spot and just patch it. Now I can do it right!