There are a bunch of cracks and nail pops in our ceiling that keep coming back. What's the best way to fix them before painting in our Surrey home?

Recurring ceiling cracks and nail pops are a frustrating problem in many Surrey and Metro Vancouver homes, and simply filling them with spackle and painting over them is a temporary fix at best. Nail pops happen when the original drywall nails lose their grip in the framing lumber, often due to wood shrinkage as the house settles over time. The proper repair involves driving a new drywall screw about two inches away from each popped nail to re-secure the drywall panel firmly to the joist, then removing or setting the old nail below the surface. The screw head and old nail hole are then covered with two to three thin coats of drywall compound, sanding smooth between each coat. For recurring cracks, the approach depends on the cause. Hairline cracks along drywall seams usually mean the original tape has failed. The fix is to cut out the old tape, apply fresh paper or fibreglass mesh tape with new compound, and build up the joint with two or three coats. For stress cracks near corners or where walls meet ceilings, flexible caulking may be more appropriate than rigid compound, as these areas continue to move slightly with seasonal temperature and humidity changes. In newer Surrey developments where homes are still settling, some movement cracks may continue to reappear for the first few years regardless of the repair method. Once all repairs are dry and sanded, prime the patched areas with a PVA primer before applying your ceiling paint. Consider asking your painter whether applying the topcoat by roller or spray will give you the smoothest ceiling finish for your particular space.

---

Find a Painting Contractor

Vancouver Paint Contractors connects you with experienced contractors through the https://vancouverconstructionnetwork.com:

• Paint renos ✓
• Adept Projects Inc ✓
• Tonic Siding ✓