What are Nail Pops?
. While this can sometimes be caused by a poorly placed screw or nail working its way out of a stud due to wood shrinkage, it’s more often than not an indication of foundation settlement.
If the “pop” is due to a poorly placed nail, it is fairly easy to repair. You simply insert a couple of drywall screws into the stud, above and below the popped nail, remove the nail then cut away any loose material from the hole. Now you can mud, sand and paint the wall. But if the “pop” is due to a foundation issue, simply repairing it won’t prevent it from happening again somewhere else. In this case, it’s best to address the cause of the issue instead of just the symptom.
Foundation Settlement
Drywall nails can work their way loose as the framing they’re nailed into flexes due to foundation settling or lateral movement. This happens as a home’s foundation settles into poorly compacted, moisture-softened or shrunken soils below the structure, or a wall is pushed inward by external forces. The only way to prevent nail pops — and a whole host of other issues throughout the home — is to address the root cause. This requires stabilizing the home’s foundation by transferring its weight to load-bearing soils or bedrock, or by reinforcing the basement walls to prevent further inward movement.
Diagnosing and Fixing the Problem
Foundation Recovery Systems offers a variety of solutions to permanently repair cracked, sinking foundations to prevent nail pops, including:
Our Certified Field Inspectors are trained to expertly diagnose foundation problems. They use highly specialized equipment that allows them to develop a solution tailored to your home’s unique needs. By the time the inspection is over, you’ll know exactly what caused the problem, exactly what it will take to fix it permanently and exactly how much it will cost to do so.
Once a solution has been customized for your home, we pick a date for the job. At that time, a highly trained production crew will install the solution, leaving your home fixed and protected for future generations — restoring its value, improving your family’s quality of life and giving you lasting peace of mind.
