7 easy ways to get an old nail out of a wall
With minor home repairs, unexpected difficulties often arise that you don’t even think about until you come across them directly. It seems to be difficult to just pull and pull the old nail out of the wall? But here's the trouble - he rusted from time to time and firmly sat down in place. In this article, we will talk about several methods by which you can quite easily solve the problem.
Pull out metal comb
If the nail is small and does not sit very firmly in the wall, but does not stagger and pull it out with your hands is not an option, then try to take a regular metal comb. There are small gaps between the teeth in it. And if the thickness of the metal rod allows you to pass it into this gap, then simply draw it all the way between them and pull it towards you.
The main thing here is to calculate the effort and not spoil the good thing. If the pin lends itself, then it’s good, but if the comb starts to bend strongly, then it is better to put it aside and try other options.
Pull with a fork
The method is similar to the previous one, the only difference is that if you still need to look for a metal comb, then an ordinary table fork will certainly be found in every house. And the gap between the teeth of the fork allows you to pry a nail of greater thickness.
Pull it with a hat until it stops between the teeth of the fork and, holding with one hand the handle and the other by the tips, pull towards you. The effort can be exerted more than with a comb, but do not overdo it so as not to bend the cutlery.
Pull with pliers
This option is suitable for tightly stuck nails. Pliers are a universal tool that has wide, flat “lips” that can hold any small object well.
Also in many modern models of pliers there are cutters like nippers. If the nail does not sit too deep, then first try to grab it with these incisors and squeeze enough to fix it, but do not bite the nail itself.
Even the most unpleasant nail will succumb to this method, especially if you apply the lever method. In the same place where the incisors are useless or it is sunk too deeply, try using a pair of pliers to grab a hat and pull it towards you. More efforts will be required, and the main thing here is to maintain balance and not to fly too far together with the pulled out pin.
Heat with a lighter
There is one interesting method that makes it easier to pull a nail out of its place. Everyone knows that when moving something heavy, the main thing is to move the object from its place, and then it's easier.
This principle is also suitable for solving our problem. Just grab a lighter and heat the visible part of the nail. You need to warm it up well, then due to the high temperature the material from which it is made will expand and displace the seat, thereby doing the work for you.
After cooling, it will no longer sit so tightly in the wall, and it will be easier to pull it out using any of the methods described in the article.
Use a hammer
Not everyone knows, but the hammer can be used not only to hammer nails, but also to pull them out. The truth is called such a tool is not just a hammer, but a hammer-nail puller. He, unlike a conventional hammer, has a kind of fork with two teeth on the back side of the impact part. This fork is quite powerful, and using it correctly, you can pull out the most defiant nail, even the size of a palm.
The secret to using the tool is simple: the nail is threaded into the slot until it stops and, using the handle of the hammer as a lever, we gradually pull it against the wall. In this case, emphasis is placed on the impact part of the hammer, so if the pin is long enough or if you do not want to damage the finish of the wall, you should place a small board under it.
If he is reluctant, then pull it slowly so as not to rip off the hat. The only drawback of this method is that for small nails this item is not suitable, since it is almost impossible to catch on a small hat.
Drive another nail
If you suddenly have a normal hammer, without the function of a nail clipper, then even with it you can get out of the situation if the nail is hammered into a not very thick board - for example, a room door.
To get started, hammer it to the end, so that it comes out from the back side - if at the same time you see that it is of insufficient thickness and cannot go out from the back side, then this method will not work for you. Then hit the tip of the emerging nail to return it to its original position. And in the hole formed, insert another nail and, striking it, you can push the first. To hammer to the end is not worth it: it will be enough to hammer so that both nails can be pulled out without problems.
Take out with ticks
And finally, a tool designed specifically for getting nails - pincers. This is the most convenient device to solve a similar problem.
The tool has wide and thin “lips” with which it is easy to pick up the deepest nail. Even a torn nail head should not scare you, because ticks like nippers have pointed ends with which you can firmly grab the body of the nail anywhere. So, gradually grabbing the metal rod each time in a new position, you can easily pull it out of the wall with gentle swaying movements, with little or no effort.
