Addressing drywall cracks and nail pops
Your Lennar home has been built to meet the needs of your family – and to last. As you know, minor cosmetic imperfections occur as a home settles and do not necessarily indicate that there are any major problems. In fact, as your home settles, it is very common for hairline cracks and nail pops to appear on both the interior and exterior walls.
These are normal and are caused by the natural expansion and contraction of the materials in your home. A nail pop is what happens when wall studs and drywall contract, causing the nail to pop out from the surface. This is not a structural problem, it is purely cosmetic. Addressing drywall cracks and nail pops should be incorporated into your ongoing home maintenance plan.
Keep in mind that these minor repairs will require that you finish your project by applying touch-up paint to the area. When you repaint, you’ll probably notice that the color of the repaired area will vary slightly from the rest of the wall, as sun and age tend to fade the pigment in the paint. Therefore, we recommend that you not perform these repairs unless you are ready to repaint the entire wall or room should it become necessary. Also remember that the longer you wait to repair a drywall crack, the more likely it is for it to continue expanding. This may increase the amount of effort necessary to address it should the crack become very large. Make sure to monitor cracks and use good judgment regarding when to address them.
We recommend you seal interior wall cracks with a caulking compound. Here is the process to address nail pops:
1. Reset the nail with a hammer.
2. Once the nail is back to the appropriate depth, blow out any dust and lightly clean the area with a brush or old toothbrush.
3. Apply spackle across the hole with your finger or a putty knife so that it matches the level of the wall.
4. Allow the area to dry completely before re-painting.
For a video demonstration, please refer to our home maintenance video section on drywall cracks and nail pops.
If you need additional information, please contact your local Lennar Customer Care Team for assistance.
