# Drywall pulling away after screwing



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Are you pushing in on the drywall to hold it tight to the stud, and using more then one screw before letting go?
If your screwing it in to far it's going to pull through the paper.
If it's not effecting the baseboard causing a gap I'd just leave it alone.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

first, do not run the screw in so far as to push it through the outer paper. It will indent the paper with a hole in the center where the screw pierced it. If you run it in so deep as to make it tear through the outer paper completely, you lost a lot of the strength. The middle hole looks about right while the others look like you ran the screw in too far.


then, without a screw in there, is there a bulge in the area you are trying to screw down?


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

I think I'm gunna leave it alone. I pushed in lightly when screwing in like I've been doing all the other nail pops. I've been having trouble locating the stud, would you think the stud runs vertical from where I'm screwing?

I've been doing 1 screw. I did it twice when the first one had the drywall pull away from it.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

nap said:


> first, do not run the screw in so far as to push it through the outer paper. It will indent the paper with a hole in the center where the screw pierced it. If you run it in so deep as to make it tear through the outer paper completely, you lost a lot of the strength. The middle hole looks about right while the others look like you ran the screw in too far.
> 
> 
> then, without a screw in there, is there a bulge in the area you are trying to screw down?


There's no bulge. The screws looked fine, I even tightened the last bit by hand. You could hear the drywall coming apart from the screw though. As if the rest of the wall is loose and this one screw is tight to the stud.

Any trick to locating the stud?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

What are you using to find the stud?


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

joecaption said:


> What are you using to find the stud?


Been using this zircon stud finder. It has trouble around windows. 

For example these pics are how determined there's a stud.. But sometimes in the same area it will flash the 3 red lights instead.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

Maybe this one stud isn't in line w the others and when I pull the drywall tight to it, maybe the fastener pops away from the drywall. Just a theory.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

I see a rachet wrench with a bit on the end in you pic. You are not putting your screws with that are you?
If the drywall is pulling away from the screw a few minuets after you put it in, you know where the stud is. If the screw wasnt in the stud, the drywall wouldnt move.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

ZTMAN said:


> I see a rachet wrench with a bit on the end in you pic. You are not putting your screws with that are you?
> If the drywall is pulling away from the screw a few minuets after you put it in, you know where the stud is. If the screw wasnt in the stud, the drywall wouldnt move.


I use the ratchet to tighten the last couple turns. I use the Vermont dinpler to screw it in before using that.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

I was just thinking.. I should have a stud 3/4" to the left of the electrical box.. And the to the left every 16".. Which doesn't exact line up w where I was screwing.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Try measuring 16" from where the wall starts on the right. They probably did the layout and the door framing was probably not the starting point for the framing measurements.
But keep in mind, you are fixing a nail pop. The stud should be where the nail pop is.

Try another screw. PUT YOU RACHET WRENCH AWAY. Don't drive the screw too deep


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

I must have hit a stud if the wall pulled out and the fastener stayed in. My guess is the drywall is loose on that wall, so getting this one screw tight to the stud is just ripping out.

Would you think the stud is directly vertical to thst nail pop? That's where I screwed in.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Use the baseboard to your advantage to pull it back in place to stay. Screw it to the bottom plate in 3 or 4 places along the problem area. A pilot hole and anchor hole will allow the screws to pull everything up tight. Use a counter sink bit to sink the screw heads, fill and paint.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

I just put a straight edge up to the wall and the wall isn't level at all. I think this may be the issue, that one screw is trying to pull the wall when everything else isn't as tight. 

I took my metal measuring stick and you can see one side is flush and the other is way off.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Different guess is that the stud in question is out of plane with the others due to being warped so you can screw all you want on that drywall and it will keep popping backlash because drywall does not bend that much....not like a piece of Luna which you C
opls ls bend and expect to stay there. Ron


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## mae-ling (Dec 9, 2011)

Here is a 'fix' ya. When you push on the drywall it flexes and moves on the screw?
one possible fix is to drill a 1/4inch hole (maybe 2 of them 6inches apart) dpends on how much flex and how many screw pops, looks like just the one pop. Drill the hole just through the drywall NOT into the stud. Inject some drywall adhesive into the holes being sure it goes in behind the drywall and against the stud. Make sure to get none on the surface, I would even put some tape before drilling so I can wipe the adhesive off and not get it on the drywall. You want the adhesive to dip in a little so you can mud it over. 
Wait for it to dry and fill in the space, run a screw above and below the hole you drilled, mud over all 3 holes.
Here is one brand, this is sometimes put on during the drywall install in new homes but not always. One possibility is they used it but skipped a section of this stud that now allows it to flex.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

Yes, when the screw was in it would flex when I pushed on the wall near it.

I was just going to build it up w hot mud and then tape it w mesh tape. Is that ok?

Or for these holes and the one below do you have to use liquid nails and then mud? I assume tape is required.


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## mae-ling (Dec 9, 2011)

without using the adhesive as a sort of gap filler/shim, it will continue to flex and most likely pop again.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

mae-ling said:


> without using the adhesive as a sort of gap filler/shim, it will continue to flex and most likely pop again.


Even w the nail removed? I was thinking of just patching it like a regular small hole by using hot mud/tape.


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## 78Vette (Nov 25, 2009)

Could very well be a warped stud, but I wonder if they forgot to cut out a receptical box when they drywalled. (happens more often then one would think) That could cause it to be warped and pull away from the screws. Try holding a magnet to that area..


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

Thanks. When taping a hole like this is it best to build the hole up w mud first? 

A lot of videos show just mesh over an open hole the mudded.


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## 78Vette (Nov 25, 2009)

What i have done in the past, is cut the hole to be square, then but a piece of wood behind the drywall, screw it on through the existing drywall, into the wood. That'll give you something to screw a piece of new drywall to, in order to fill the hole. Then tape and mudd.

Therre is a video on this forum someplace, that shows you how to do it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K37G2j0K8BA


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

78Vette said:


> What i have done in the past, is cut the hole to be square, then but a piece of wood behind the drywall, screw it on through the drywall into the wood. That'll give you something to screw a piece of new drywall to. Then tape and mudd.


There's not much room inside the hole since the stud is right behind. 

I know you use a shim and piece of drywall for larger patches, but you would use that method on a 1" diameter hole too? 

Would there be anything wrong with filling it w hot mud (to build a backing), then taping over that, followed by mud?


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## 78Vette (Nov 25, 2009)

didnt realize the hole was that small....just use fibertape over the hole and mudd a 1 inch hole...
if you just build it up with whatever, the first time somebody slams the door, it may crack...


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

78Vette said:


> didnt realize the hole was that small....just use fibertape over the hole and mudd a 1 inch hole...


Yeah the hole is just 1" in diameter. Although I had to clean up the 'inside' of it a bit by removing loose gypsum.. I kept the hole 1". 

A lot of the articles don't seem to say anything about filling the hole first, they indicate to just put mesh tape over and then mud but I would think you would want to build up some backing w mud behind it. 

example) http://homerenovations.about.com/od/wallsandtrim/a/artfixsmallhole.htm

The big question I have is whether it's recommended to fill the hole first w mud (then let it dry), and then mesh tape over that, followed by mud?


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## 78Vette (Nov 25, 2009)

I wouldnt do it that way. If the drywall is broken away that much behind the hole, buy a mesh-patch that is about 6x6 inches or so, stick it on and mudd it
OR
do it as in the video i posted above, by cutting the bad part out, even though you have a stud right there, which comes in handy to attach a new piece of drywall anyways...


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

78Vette said:


> I wouldnt do it that way. If the drywall is broken away that much behind the hole, buy a mesh-patch that is about 6x6 inches or so, stick it on and mudd it
> OR
> do it as in the video i posted above, by cutting the bad part out, even though you have a stud right there, which comes in handy to attach a new piece of drywall anyways...


I wasn't sure if a mesh patch or replacement piece of drywall was necessary for something this small (1-1.25" diameter). I already put a small bit of mud in the hole (which of course I can remove if I need to). 

Is the rule of thumb anything bigger than 1" needs a patch/piece of drywall to cover? 

For the patches between 1/2" to 1" is it best to build the hole w hot mud, then tape over that? Or should you not fill the hole on those before the mesh is applied?


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## 78Vette (Nov 25, 2009)

cjaustin81 said:


> I wasn't sure if a mesh patch or replacement piece of drywall was necessary for something this small (1-1.25" diameter). I already put a small bit of mud in the hole (which of course I can remove if I need to).
> 
> Is the rule of thumb anything bigger than 1" needs a patch/piece of drywall to cover?
> 
> ...


measure the hole behind, not in front, since its broken away...thats the size you need to go on.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

78Vette said:


> measure the hole behind, not in front, since its broken away...thats the size you need to go on.


It seems that behind the hole there's a bunch of broken gypsum. I imagine I keep chipping away and removing the broken gypsum until there's no more.. then measure that.

The total size after I do that should be about 1.5" in diameter. This all started as a nail pop. I'm thinking this might be a good size for a 4x4" patch. 

As for other holes ~ 1/2".. I've been filling them w mud, and some of the larger ones I will go back and sand, wipe clean, then apply mesh tape over and mud to finish it.

Is there any harm to filling small holes w mud first, then taping over them? Any reason why you shouldn't first fill them first? (these would be holes 1/2"-1")


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## mae-ling (Dec 9, 2011)

Filling small holes first is fine, no harm, just not 100% needed.


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## cjaustin81 (Sep 4, 2014)

mae-ling said:


> Filling small holes first is fine, no harm, just not 100% needed.


Thank you for the answer. I usually just make it a habit to do.


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