Wallpaper and Drywall

[southkogs]

Hey guys:

I need some suggestions from the home repair/improvement experts.

Several rooms in our house were wallpapered when we purchased it (15 years ago). We didn't care for the wallpaper and went to pull it down several years back and figured out that the original owners papered right onto the drywall - no primer, nuthin'. We could never get the stuff to come off without leaving pieces behind or tearing up the drywall.

We papered over top of it (because more of the same is always the best answer ) a few years back as a "hold us over." Now it's time to do SOMETHING about it.

Any suggestions for ways to:

1. - get the old paper off without damaging the dry-wall (we've tried steam, vinegar, dedicated wallpaper remover, dish soap, Downy fabric softener, tools to etch into the wallpaper a little)

2. - What are the best ways to repair the wall or prepare it for paint (preferably)?

I've considered bead board, or a thin sheet of dry-wall over top of the existing. I can't imagine I'll get an even surface if I try to coat the whole wall surface (skim coating?). Textures or decoupage are the only things we can come up with at the moment.

Any thoughts?

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

I had a similar situation, what I did, was put up 1/4 drywall over the existing walls, then finished normally, we textured, but it gives you many options and it was really not that hard to do.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

I've run into similar situations and most options are a PITA, depending on how it's trimmed. If you choose to add 1/4' drywall, most extension jambs will need to be replaced which means pretty much a complete re-trim. IF and that's a big IF, you feel competent with drywall mud, you can give everything a skim coat, PVA and re-texture. Personally, I hate drywall but have a great subcontractor that makes it look easy (but not cheap)
Option 3 is to tear out all the drywall and replace it. HUGE mess, disposal costs etc. My experience is price is almost a wash on any of the options. Last job we did involved the skim coat and when it was all said and done, the owner wished we'd torn it down to studs and replaced the 1/2' drywall. That option allows for wiring changes and insulation upgrades.
There are other options but none are cheap, fast or avoid a huge mess. If I had skim skills, I'd go that route but sadly, I have to hire that out. Wish I had a better option for you.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Try to score the wallpaper (use a wallpaper scorer) and soak the hell out of it with water (preferably plain warm water - no need for any fancy stuff). keep soaking it and it will soon get mushy enough to get it off. multiple layers will take multiple times of scoring and soaking. The water needs to soak in sufficiently for the paper to come off. On the last layer, you may take chunks out of the drywall paper covering but be as carefull as you can and just patch as mentioned above.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Try to score the wallpaper (use a wallpaper scorer) and soak the hell out of it with water (preferably plain warm water - no need for any fancy stuff). keep soaking it and it will soon get mushy enough to get it off. multiple layers will take multiple times of scoring and soaking. The water needs to soak in sufficiently for the paper to come off. On the last layer, you may take chunks out of the drywall paper covering but be as carefull as you can and just patch as mentioned above.

^^^ That's already been a fail. That was actually the starting point.

Thanks guys. I'm leaning MT's direction (1/4" dry over top), and wanted some opinions/options I hadn't considered.

Right now this is in the kitchen, so there aren't many door jams to worry about - just trim. I think that'll be easier on me than the skim coat, though I may try that on a couple of the smaller wall surfaces and see how I do. There's a bathroom left to do which will probably be dictated by the kitchen experience.

Any more thoughts are welcome. We'll be fighting getting stuff down for a few days.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

I have done the 1/4" drywall on a wall before.

I have always had good luck with steamers. It was a commercial steamer though...not a home depot type.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Check with a pro paint store. I have heard of people priming over the wall paper with a good primer and patching any damage to wall. Then priming again then paint.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Try to score the wallpaper (use a wallpaper scorer) and soak the hell out of it with water (preferably plain warm water - no need for any fancy stuff). keep soaking it and it will soon get mushy enough to get it off. multiple layers will take multiple times of scoring and soaking. The water needs to soak in sufficiently for the paper to come off. On the last layer, you may take chunks out of the drywall paper covering but be as carefull as you can and just patch as mentioned above.

^^^ That's already been a fail. That was actually the starting point.

How did you score and soak the wall paper?...

Our house has several rooms with wall paper directly over drywall and we removed it successfully. We scored the carp out of the paper, then stuck paper towels on the wall with a bug sprayer filled with hot water. Keep it wet for several hours with the bug sprayer, until the wall paper peels easily.

We also (lucky us) had a couple of rooms with paneling and T&G wood held to the drywall with liquid nails, which peeled the drywall paper during removal. A couple skim coats and sandings took care of the ripped up paper. Same for the wallpapered walls, skim coated them before texturing.

 

[generator12]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

I had a bathroom with old wallpaper that only God could remove without damage to the drywall beneath it. So, I scraped and hacked until it was off, then patched the biggest holes and used texture paint over it. The upper half is done in white texture; the lower in paneling with a chair-rail atop it. Looks quite good!

In a kitchen, consider Z-Brick or something similar for walls backing the stove and counter. You can get a really beautiful effect with that and never look back!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

I have done the 1/4" drywall on a wall before.

I have always had good luck with steamers. It was a commercial steamer though...not a home depot type.

First I've heard of 1/4" drywall. Never seen it around here.
But if you can get that material in your area, IMO it would be the way to go....do it once, do it right

Cutting and fitting 1/4" strips to shim around doors and windows is not that big a job.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

How did you score and soak the wall paper?...

'bout like you wrote, though not quite as long. We were concerned about screwin' up the drywall.

...In a kitchen, consider Z-Brick or something similar for walls backing the stove and counter. You can get a really beautiful effect with that and never look back!

Definitely doing a tile backsplash in a couple areas, and perhaps a little more.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Here locally several companies carry 1/4 in drywall, even home depot, one thing to remember 1/4 in is very delicate and will break easily, so if you decide to go that route, handle it very carefully. Once you are done, it is the same as any other drywall, easy to finish the way you want and you won't notice a difference from any other drywall.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Cutting and fitting 1/4" strips to shim around doors and windows is not that big a job.

The bigger problem is the existing door jambs.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Wallpaper steamer. We bought a wagner about 16 years ago and have used it in most of the rooms of our house - which was almost completely covered in wallpaper. If you take your time it takes the paper right off without damaging the drywall. And you don't score the paper when using this one.

This looks like exactly what we have
Power Steamer 705 Wallpaper Remover by Wagner Spray Tech. - Essential Hardware

 

[colbyt]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Around here the 1/4" stuff costs more than the 1/2".

If you can finish drywall you can skim coat a wall. Mud is cheaper than board.

Before I went the 1/4 route, I would just rip it out and start over with new board.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

if you are going back with another wallpaper they sell a cardboard wall paper that you put on vertical which will cover a lot of sins then wallpaper over that. My walls were bad so I did a heavy texture finnish (broken leather) using premixed dry wall mud that's then thinned out until it drips of your fingers. To apply you just take a trowel and put a old screwed up tee shirt on the flat side then cover with a loose plastic bag. apply mud to wall and move the trowel around all over the place but not in the same direction. The shirt/plastic bag will change shape as it moving and it gives a deep pattern. Use a paint thin paint brush around wall plates and trim to reduce the pattern. Then paint the wall one color then using a rag and watered down paint wipe over the wall in a different color so the high spots pop with the color change. To me its a cheap fix but ive had lots of people asking me to do there homes as it looks like a expensive designer finnish.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Glenn, got any photos of that? I'd like to see what that texture turned out like.

Dunno' that I wanna' take out all of the drywall, as opposed to just adding a thin piece. I can get away with skimming a couple of sections (they're small and I think I can keep it pretty smooth), but I've got two larger wall sections that are the main consternation here. No jams or casings to work around though, so that's pretty good. It's all gonna' be flat wall and simple corners.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

You might be able to use an adhesive to the attach 1/4" panels....reducing the number of screws to just a few.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Ok unfortunately I have been working with drywall for about 30 years now. If your talking a room or small area I would remove the paper the best you can then skim with reg joint compound . At work the finishers will sand drywall to remove as much of the loose paper as possible . Then you must paint the raw paper with a sealer. We use this stuff called guards . Paint store will have it , they also carry a similar brand at H/D . Not sure the name. Then skim with mud . Use a 12" knife and pull tight . Might take a few coats . Sand , prime, then touch up . Sometimes the finishers will thin the mud some and use a heavy nap roller to lay the mud then pull flat with knives . Good luck !

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Wallpaper and Drywall

Sometimes the finishers will thin the mud some and use a heavy nap roller to lay the mud then pull flat with knives .

I need to store this tidbit somewhere.