Build with Mark - What causes nail pops in Drywall?.

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	© Mark Saville 2006	What causes nail pops in drywall?
			Nail pops in drywall are the result of a small space created between the wall stud and the back of the drywall.. Drywall should never be nailed only, there are screws designed especially for fastening drywall and improvements are being made all the time.When drywall is screwed, the scew gun has a special adjustment collar on it that allows you to choose the desired depth that the tip releases the screw and leaves an in-set to be filled with mud.
	1. Cause of nail pops in drywall is not allowing wet framing lumber to dry out before installing the drywall. The wood wall stud shrinks leaving a space between the back of the drywall and the stud letting the drywall float. Give your framing some time to dry out if there has been a lot of rain. Open some windows on a hot day to get the air flowing or place a fan in the space for awhile. 2. Inproper installation is the second cause of nail pops. When installing drywall press your opposite hand against the board to make sure it's tight against the stud and then screw the drywall in place with the screw gun. Give it an extra push after screwing to make sure the screw has forced the drywall tightly against the stud. In the example picture we actually double screw to add a bit of redundancy in case one scew slips up. Care must be taken not to set the scew too deeply and break the drywall paper around the screw. This will cause the sheet to float and as soon as there is any force against it, the screw filler will pop.

To repair a nail or screw drywall pop, you need to re-fasten the drywall sheet making sure the scew is in the properly. If the filler has poped right out and you can see the screw head, take a screw driver and tighten it up if possible or remove it all together. Then install a new drywall screw an inch away making sure you fasten into the wood framing behind.

A good straight second coat on the joint.

Fill the new scew head with filler and sand it out. Prime and paint. If your framing lumber is dry and you install the screw properly, you won't have any more drywall nail pops in that area.

One more cause of drywall nail pops in the ceiling area can be truss uplift. There is a good article here onthe subject of truss uplift

What causes nail pops in drywall?