The settlement of the building materials used to construct your home often leads to raised, round bumps on ceiling and walls. Commonly known as ‘nail pops’ these bumps are caused by the screws that hold the plasterboard in place standing proud of the surface as result of the drying out process.
Nail pops are normal in a new home, and easy to repair and make good. Just follow these simple instructions.
Before you get going, make sure you have the following tools to hand:
- Hammer
- Punch, or a long nail or screw
- Filling knife
- Filler (powdered or ready to use)
- Sandpaper (80-grit)
- Sanding block
- Paint and brushes
- Cover the floor underneath the nail pop with a dust sheet
- Remove any plaster covering the head of the screw with your filling knife
- Place the tip of your punch, (or nail or screw) onto the head of the screw
- Strike the punch firmly with the hammer to drive the screw back below the surface
- Brush out any loose dust with a dry paintbrush
- Mix your filler following the instructions on the pack
- Dampen the crack with a wet cloth
- Push the filler firmly into the cavity and smooth the surface with the filling knife
- Leave to set until the filler is completely dry
- Lightly sand the filler until it is level with the rest of the surface
- Remove any dust with a damp cloth
- Touch up the paintwork to match the rest of the surface