Covering Nail heads showing in plaster

[markdiynot]

Have 3 spots where plaster has crumbled off a nail head holding the plaster board up how do I cover/seal the little hole with the nail head then fill it in so it doesn't appear again when I paint over it ..As I have done this in another spot even sealing the plaster before using a bit of filler and a crack/ring has appeared after a few months... think I am not quite doing it right to get a good bond/seal with filler to touch up the hole
thanks to anyone with any advice ..

 

[misterhelpful]

Sealing the plaster with a little diluted emulsion before filling is the best way to get it to adhere properly but if it's cracking again after a short while, it sounds as if there is movement in the board/s. Before filling push the plasterboard as tight as you can to the stud, and see if the nail becomes more pronounced. If it does, you will need to tap it in tighter with a hammer and nail punch so that everything becomes more solid - just be careful not to hit it too hard and right through the board. You could actually replace with a screw, which won't come loose in the future.

 

[Chri5]

Take the nails out and replace with dry lining screws.

 

[markdiynot]

Thanks for suggestions. And YES there is a bit of movement with the first one I looked at
Is unibond better than emulsion to seal the plaster ? Or is emulsion better and soaks into plaster ?
Have both at hand

 

[Chri5]

The nails aren't fixed or fixing the board because you have movement.

Follow what I suggested before will be the best fix (pun intended).

 

[misterhelpful]

Don't Unibond - it doesn't accept water based paints.

 

[sparkwright]

Chances are the nail has missed the joist, if so the nail is not doing anyting and must be removed. If this is the case, the joist should be nearby - so if you feel like it, try somewhere else close by and fit a drywall screw.

 

[darkan9el]

I replace with a screw, place some mesh over the hole and fill, never pops after that. Do it right first time saves hours later on

 

[markdiynot]

many thanks to all for the ideas and knowledgeable suggestions.. much appreciated... have now done the job and filled and re- emulsioned and all is fine...and confident all will be fine in the future
thanks again to DIYnot Forums always helpful

 

[markdiynot]

apologies just one last question !! I think !! when I asked about whether to use diluted emulsion or unibond to seal the plaster ..that was prior to putting filling in the small hole before emulsioning over to cover all up .. I was asking best way to seal the plaster before using filler thanks for any answer or clarification on the 2 methods for using filler ..

 

[DavidSWP]

Irrespective of movement you need to seal the nail or screw head with PVA.