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How to Fix Nail Pops in Drywall

Home/Resources/Paint & Walls/Fixing Nail Pops
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Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor
Updated August 2026
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Fixing a nail pop is one of the quickest, most beginner-friendly drywall repairs there is — a few minutes of work per pop plus dry time, no permit, no pro. Nail pops are cosmetic, caused by framing shrinking and moving behind the drywall, not a structural warning. Materials cost almost nothing: a couple of drywall screws, joint compound, sandpaper, primer, and paint. The one thing that separates a lasting fix from one that pops again next season is refastening the panel to the stud with extra screws rather than just tapping the old nail back in. Do that and it stays flat.

Nail Pops in Drywall? This Will Fix It

Step-by-step: the two-screw nail pop fix

  1. Find the stud. The pop is over a stud or ceiling joist. Confirm the solid framing behind it so your new screws bite wood.
  2. Deal with the popped fastener. Drive the popped nail or screw head just below the drywall surface without tearing the paper, or back it out and remove it entirely if it is loose.
  3. Add two screws. Drive a drywall screw an inch or two above the pop and another an inch or two below, pulling the panel tight to the stud. Set each head just below the surface, dimpling the paper but not breaking it.
  4. First coat of compound. Fill all three spots with joint compound using a 4- to 6-inch knife, wiping it flush. Feather the edges into the wall.
  5. Dry, then recoat. Let it dry, then apply a second (and if needed third) thin coat, feathering wider each time to bury the dimples.
  6. Sand flush. When fully dry, sand with 120- then 150-grit until you cannot feel the repair. Check with a raking light.
  7. Prime and paint. Spot-prime each repair, then paint the wall or corner to corner so nothing flashes through.
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Tools and materials

You need drywall screws, a drill or screw gun with a dimpler bit, a putty knife, joint compound, sandpaper, primer, and touch-up paint. Because you are painting over the repair, matching sheen matters, and using the same line the wall was painted with gives the cleanest blend — our interior paint picks help you match a durable, low-flash finish. If you are touching up a whole wall to hide several repairs, a fresh roller keeps the texture uniform, and taping off adjacent trim with clean painter's tape keeps the touch-up tidy.

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Mistakes that make pops return

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More from this hub: Paint & Walls · Patching a hole · Repairing a large hole · Sanding before painting · Best interior paint · How we rank

Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

What causes nail pops in drywall?

Wood framing shrinking and moving as it dries and as the house settles through seasonal humidity swings. The lumber behind your drywall gives up moisture over its first years and expands and contracts with the seasons, and as it moves it pushes the nail or screw head outward against the drywall, cracking the thin layer of compound over it and popping the paper. Older nail-fastened drywall is more prone than screwed drywall. It is a cosmetic nuisance, not a structural problem, and it is completely DIY-fixable in minutes per pop.

How do you permanently fix a nail pop so it does not come back?

Reseat or bury the popped fastener, then add a drywall screw an inch or two above and below it to pull the drywall tight to the stud, so the panel cannot flex the old fastener back out. Drive the new screws just below the surface without breaking the paper, set the popped head below the surface too or remove it, then fill all three spots with compound in thin coats, sand, prime, and paint. The two extra screws are the key to permanence — refastening the panel to the framing is what stops the recurrence.

Should you use a nail or a screw to fix a nail pop?

A screw, always, for the repair fasteners. Drywall screws grip the framing far better than nails and are much less likely to pop, which is exactly why modern drywall is screwed rather than nailed. Do not just hammer the old nail back in — it will pop again. Instead, drive drywall screws above and below the pop to secure the panel, and either set the old fastener below the surface or back it out. Using screws for the fix is the difference between a repair that lasts and one you redo next year.

Do you need to prime over a nail pop repair before painting?

Yes, spot-prime each repair. The fresh joint compound is porous and absorbs paint differently than the surrounding wall, so an unprimed patch flashes through as a dull spot in any raking light. A quick dab of drywall primer over each filled pop evens the porosity so the topcoat covers uniformly, then paint the wall or at least corner to corner. Skipping primer is the reason a perfectly smooth nail-pop repair still shows after painting. It takes two minutes and makes the repair truly disappear.

How many coats of compound does a nail pop need?

Two or three thin coats. One coat shrinks into the dimple as it dries and leaves a slight depression, so you build it up over passes, feathering each a bit wider with a wider knife and letting each dry before the next. The screw dimples and the old fastener spot all get the same treatment. Thin coats dry flat and sand clean; a single thick glob cracks and stays low. After the final coat dries, sand flush, check with a raking light, prime, and paint. The whole thing is quick but benefits from patience between coats.