How to Fix Nails Popping Up in Stair Treads

Nails are a common attachment method for both interior and exterior wooden stair treads. Although they are not as durable as screws, nail guns make using nails much less labor intensive. However, over time the boards around the nails expand and contract, causing them to pop up. Fixing the loose nails is required to restore the structural integrity of the treads. However, the process is often more complex than simply hammering the nails back down.

Pry bar
Nail set
Hammer
Cloth
Wood screws
Power drill
Wood putty
Putty knife
Fine-grit sandpaper
Wood stain (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Locate one of the raised nails on the stair treads and grasp it between your fingers. Wiggle the nail to determine if it is loose. Tight nails on undamaged treads are repairable. Remove any nails that are loose or are on warped treads using a pry bar to pull them out.
- 2
  Wrap the head of a hammer with a cloth to prevent damaging the stair tread and hammer all of the sturdy nails back into the tread until they are flush with the surface.
- 3
  Insert a nail set tool on top of each nail head and tap it with the hammer to sink the head of the nail 1/8 inch under the surface of the tread wood.
- 4
  Walk to the locations where you removed the nails entirely. Insert wood screws into the holes, using screws that are 1/2-inch longer than the original nail. The longer screws deepen the holes and secure the screws into the undamaged wood. Tighten the screws with a power drill until the heads are 1/8 inch below the surface of the tread.
- 5
  Open a small tub of wood putty and scoop out a pea-sized amount using a plastic putty knife. Spread the putty over the head of each nail or screw and smooth the surface to scrape off the excess.
- 6
  Sand the wood putty once it is dry, using a fine-grit sandpaper sheet.

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