Skip to content
forebot.
Sign inBook a demo

Nail pops and drywall cracks in a newer house.

A drywall contractor should repair once the frame has dried, with a structural engineer if movement continues.

Customers put it like this

  • nail pops all over the ceiling
  • drywall cracks over the doors
  • new house and the doors are racked
  • cracks along the taped seams
Prepare this job in ForeBotFind another guide

Stop first if

  • Cracks are visibly opening or walls are moving.Keep people clear. Call emergency services and a structural engineer.
  • Pops and cracks keep multiplying after a full heating season.Hold finish repairs. Get a foundation elevation survey and call a structural engineer.
01

Ask on the call

5

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. How old is the house, and when did the heat first run?
  2. When did the pops or cracks appear?
  3. Are they along one member, over doors or all over?
  4. Is the tape torn or intact?
  5. Are they still multiplying?
02

Bring

5
  • Moisture meter
  • Level
  • Tape measure
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

5
  1. Compare the start of heating with the first pops.
  2. Map pops and cracks against deep members, openings and corners.
  3. Measure framing moisture with a calibrated meter.
  4. Press the board beside a pop for looseness.
  5. Compare with dated foundation level readings.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Dates of first heating and first pops
  • Map of pops and cracks
  • Framing moisture readings
  • Photos of torn or intact tape

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.