We moved into our brand new build in July and Im already seeing nail pops in multiple rooms. Little bumps in the walls and some have cracked through the paint. Is this normal for new construction or did the builder cut corners? Should I be worried about the overall quality of work?
7 Comments
Totally normal for new construction. The lumber is still drying out and the house is settling. Most builders know this will happen and include a 1-year warranty touchup for exactly this reason. Contact your builder - they should come fix it for free. If they used screws (they should have) the fix is simple. If they used nails you might have recurring issues.
didnt know about the warranty touchup, will definitely contact them. how do i tell if its screws or nails?
screws usually push the mud/paint out in a little volcano shape. nails tend to pop out leaving a more obvious circular bump. either way the builder should handle it
Very normal. My house was built in 2019 and we had probably 30-40 screw pops in the first year. Builder came out and fixed them all. Haven't had any new ones in the past 4 years. It's just the wood shrinking as it dries to match your indoor humidity levels.
one tip - wait until close to your 1 year warranty expiration to have them all fixed at once. youll likely get more pops over the next few months as the house continues settling. mark them with painters tape or a pencil so you dont lose track
Just to add - this is cosmetic not structural. Screw pops dont mean anything is wrong with your framing or foundation. Its annoying but not a sign of bigger problems. The only time id worry is if you see cracks running diagonally from corners of doors/windows, that can indicate foundation movement.
we had the same thing. drove me crazy at first but now 3 years in the walls are stable. get them all documented and fixed under warranty. its a normal part of new construction unfortunately