# How do I repair 1) loose drywall tape & 2) "nail pops"?



## Michael Allen (Apr 21, 2011)

Greetings. Please let me know the simplest & best way to repair:
1) A loose piece of drywall tape hanging down from the ceiling (about 6" long)' and 2) Several "nail pops" in the ceiling & walls. 
The construction is about 10 years old, and remains in excellent condition except for these few items.
Thank you.


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## RickyBobby (Nov 19, 2009)

You will have to remove the bad tape section and redo. As for the nail pops, probably have to remove the screws and sink in some new ones. The biggest thing is to ensure that the board is securely fastened to the ceiling joists. What is directly over the affected area? High traffic area upstairs could result in this happening quite often.

Make sure all dried mud is gone and remud with paper tape and hit the old screw holes and new screws you just did. 

One thing that I have found when removing screws in drywall is to concave the old hole. This not only makes sure that all of the paper is in the old hole but also gives a good spot for the new mud to sink in to. You can do this using the rounded handle of a screwdriver. Just press it into it to get a dimple.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Lotta work for a nail pop. I just slap the daylights outta them with a hammer, then mud the big indentation back in.


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## sharpsport (Mar 30, 2011)

Amen. Bang'em and mud'em.

Rick
http://myhandyadvice.blogspot.com/


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## dberladyn (Apr 24, 2011)

Willie T said:


> Lotta work for a nail pop. I just slap the daylights outta them with a hammer, then mud the big indentation back in.


Yes, it is also wise to screw the drywall both above and below the nail pop to ensure the sheet doesn't come loose again.


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