[SW_RepCanada]

Hi guys, my customer is having an issue with these “Nipples” appearing all over a house he’s currently painting using a microfibre roller and Sherwin Williams Duration interior. Walls were freshly skimmed and there were no visible issues after it was primed. Anyone able to identify what’s causing these?

Thanks in advance really appreciate any help.

 

[Wildbill7145]

Drywall screw pops. If you've got a few in new construction, you've probably got a few hundred.

Two ways to fix them. Neither are cheap.

 

[SW_RepCanada]

Drywall screw pops. If you've got a few in new construction, you've probably got a few hundred.

Two ways to fix them. Neither are cheap.

Googled drywall screw pops and there it is. Thank you sir!

 

[Joe67]

Drywall screw pops. If you've got a few in new construction, you've probably got a few hundred.

Two ways to fix them. Neither are cheap.

I know only one way which is to remove the offending screw, pop in another and patch the divots. What's the second?

 

[Redux]

On a fairly recent newly constructed home that I painted, “every” single screw popped on ~600 boards within 2 years after initially completing it. When being hired to repair/repaint everything, I installed close to 30,000 new drywall screws and brought the drywall prep back up to level V. In addition to the screw-pops, I had to reset all the corner beads, and remove “all” the inside corner joint tape & retape. I received an email from the client earlier this evening, having the same problem with her cottage @ the same property, hoping she could coax me out of retirement “again” and hire me to redo that..ugh...argh...

 

[Masterwork]

We should all start calling these nipples.

 

[jr.sr. painting]

I’d have to respectfully disagree that those are screw pops. Are the spots in question inline vertically with each other? Are they an even space apart (local building code 16” o/c). Are they spots soft and able to be gently pushed without popping or breaking? Op, you said the walls were recently skim coated. I would bet those walls were dusty when primed. It doesn’t take much dust to do that.


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[Wildbill7145]

I know only one way which is to remove the offending screw, pop in another and patch the divots. What's the second?

The method you mention is absolutely best practice. I'd actually put one above and one below the offending screw and hope for the best. The other method which isn't really a long term fix would be to just scrape the pop off, and remud. All things remaining equal, it'll pop again at some point. That's not best practice but a lot of guys do it.

The worst I've seen is in show homes where they splap them together as quickly as possible to get people going through them fast in new subdivisions. I couldn't count the number of times I've had people ask me to come look at a room to paint in these things and they say "Yeah, there's a few screw pops." I respond "I can see about 30 from where I'm standing."

Lots of reasons this kind of thing happens. Framing drying out, high humidity during the mudding process. Depending on where they're happening it could be from truss lift. Or just simply poor installation during the boarding.

I think Jr. Sr. is suggesting it could be a blister from residual dust being present during priming, which is a possibility and pretty easy to determine. Honestly, I've never seen that much post priming. I've seen it happen when painting over repairs though.

 

[cocomonkeynuts]

I’d have to respectfully disagree that those are screw pops. Are the spots in question inline vertically with each other? Are they an even space apart (local building code 16” o/c). Are they spots soft and able to be gently pushed without popping or breaking? Op, you said the walls were recently skim coated. I would bet those walls were dusty when primed. It doesn’t take much dust to do that.


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Its easy to confirm screw pop just put a magnet on the area....

 

[Wildbill7145]

Its easy to confirm screw pop just put a magnet on the area....

Exactly. If it's a blister it'll feel like a blister. If it's a screw pop, scrape the little nugget off and you'll see the screw. Either way it's gotta be fixed.

Awful thing to explain to people the process of addressing this when they've just bought a home and six months later you're telling them they're going right back to the drywall installation process with all the mess, etc. involved.

 

[Wildbill7145]

One of the new home builders around here is notorious for garbage work basically on everything he builds. That being said, he sells a lot of houses. The home warranty covers drywall damage like screw pops for exactly one year. So, he sends a kid over whenever someone files a claim with a bucket of mud and a brush. Kid muds the holes and touches up paint. That's it. Keeps sending the kid back for a year, then you're on your own.

 

[Masterwork]

Did a multi-million dollar home, earlier this year. It was the middle of the winter when the taper was in. In Canada. I guess they didn't heat the house properly, because there were nail pops all over come the spring. It looks awful. I told the owner to mak sure he has it fixed before the warranty is up.

 

[Pete Martin the Painter]

On a fairly recent newly constructed home that I painted, “every” single screw popped on ~600 boards within 2 years after initially completing it. When being hired to repair/repaint everything, I installed close to 30,000 new drywall screws and brought the drywall prep back up to level V. In addition to the screw-pops, I had to reset all the corner beads, and remove “all” the inside corner joint tape & retape. I received an email from the client earlier this evening, having the same problem with her cottage @ the same property, hoping she could coax me out of retirement “again” and hire me to redo that..ugh...argh...

Holy crap! Did you do this job as T&M? I cannot imagine trying to estimate a job like this one.

 

[Redux]

Holy crap! Did you do this job as T&M? I cannot imagine trying to estimate a job like this one.

All T&M and not one pop or crack has reoccurred since redoing it...”but” the client told me this summer that she hates the putty wall color throughout and wants the entire home done for yet a third time in a gray color!

Just some pics of one small section:

 

[CApainter]

This is interesting. I wonder if screw fasteners verses nail fasteners are more susceptible to popping. I would argue that the screw fastener does not allow the drywall to give a little when shrinkage occurs in the framing, where as a nail fastener would allow a little give, due to its smooth surface grip on the framing.

This would be one good reason to maintain a two thirds, or more, fastener penetration in the framing when using nails

 

[Masterwork]

Nails will 100% pop, given enough time. Screws won't, if things are installed properly. I'd opt for screws every time.

 

[jr.sr. painting]

My house is 1960 drywall and there is less nail pops than in most 2 year old new construction. The finish work like that is shameful


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[CApainter]

Nails will 100% pop, given enough time. Screws won't, if things are installed properly. I'd opt for screws every time.

I tend to agree with you that screws are preferred in the repair, remodel , and probably in the new construction industry. (excluding metal framing where there is no choice but to use screws). However, with "greener" framing lumber being used more often today in construction than it had in the 1940's, where more old growth lumber was used, there could be more structural shrinkage that may compromise a drywall installation even when the highly secure screw fastener is used.

And speaking of screw fasteners, it doesn't take much effort to over sink a screw beyond its ability to effectively support a drywall board. Particularly on ceilings. Frankly, I think the drywall nail had a better and larger head design than the narrower and tapered Phillips head design of a drywall fastener.

 

[CApainter]

I tend to agree with you that screws are preferred in the repair, remodel , and probably in the new construction industry. (excluding metal framing where there is no choice but to use screws). However, with "greener" framing lumber being used more often today in construction than it had in the 1940's, where more old growth lumber was used, there could be more structural shrinkage that may compromise a drywall installation even when the highly secure screw fastener is used.

And speaking of screw fasteners, it doesn't take much effort to over sink a screw beyond its ability to effectively support a drywall board. Particularly on ceilings. Frankly, I think the drywall nail had a better and larger head design than the narrower and tapered Phillips head design of a drywall screw fastener.

 

[Redux]

I tend to agree with you that screws are preferred in the repair, remodel , and probably in the new construction industry. (excluding metal framing where there is no choice but to use screws). However, with "greener" framing lumber being used more often today in construction than it had in the 1940's, where more old growth lumber was used, there could be more structural shrinkage that may compromise a drywall installation even when the highly secure screw fastener is used.

And speaking of screw fasteners, it doesn't take much effort to over sink a screw beyond its ability to effectively support a drywall board. Particularly on ceilings. Frankly, I think the drywall nail had a better and larger head design than the narrower and tapered Phillips head design of a drywall fastener.

Most popping nowadays I’ve encountered is due to quick growth crappy framing lumber. I’ve been seeing a lot of LVL engineered framing materials w/zero popping or tape joints cracking. The stuff’s some serious $$ though.