Easy way to protect baseboard and drop cloths when applying a “skim -coat” of drywall mud to walls.

Q: What can i use to repair my drywall which was ripped down to the brown paper during the much needed wallpaper removal process? I just want to be able to paint the walls – I am not going to be re-wallpapering. Do I just get a can of Gardz? or do I need something else in addition to the Gardz?

A:  I taught myself to repair drywall with the assistance of people on the gardenweb forums. It is a DIY project, but there are a couple tricks you need to know about, especially since you are going to be painting. First, paint the damaged drywall with oil based primer. Then skim coat with drywall mud, sand, skim again, sand again, and maybe even a third time. Once it is smooth and the way you want it, prime again with oil based primer.

But most of the on-line advice fail to tell you about the importance of using the oil based primer, and using it twice. It acts as a shield, first between the damaged drywall and the drywall mud, and then the second time as a shield between the drywall mud and your latex paint. If you don’t use it, you can end up with the repaired area having a slightly different sheen from the rest of the wall.

A: Here’s some more advice he gave me when I could not face the prospect of removing the tightly applied wallpaper (someone did a good job on that!) from a very long narrow hallway, especially after the first few strips I took down damaged the drywall as you described. He said to sand down the torn edges and seams of the wallpaper so it’s flush, then apply Gardz. He then skimcoated. Then I added another layer of Gardz and painted. After we were done, you couldn’t tell there was ever wallpaper there. After all, drywall itself is basically paper, and if you can prevent the wallpaper from buckling and coming down from the moisture, why not. Gardz supposedly makes a hard seal on the surface.

Source:
Gardenweb.com

Q: I took down old wallpaper and exposed sheetrock down to brown paper. It was suggested to use heavy duty wall liner and paint over that. I do not want textured walls or wallpaper. If I use the wall liner only: Do I still need to repair the walls and primer them before adding paper? Also, is wall liner a good option instead of textured walls and wallpaper?

A: Prime the whole thing with Kilz. Then skim coat, sand, and repeat until the walls are smooth. Then prime and paint. This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s the best way to get nice walls again.

A: We’re in the process of doing this to our entire house. Have two rooms finished. You do NOT want to remove the paper down the to the “chalky surface” that is the drywall, stop one layer above that. When you have removed as much of the paper and as you can manually, I recommend sanding the rest of the glue off the wall. I used a drywall sander ($40 rental 8 inch circular sander hooked – 150 GRIT- up to a shop-vac – NO DUST). Once smooth I primed the walls with latex primer to smooth out any grain that was showing, then with oil based primer to seal it (Zinser). Then the skim coating process begins. It depends how smooth you want it to be, I working diligently doing a full skim coat and the walls are near perfect. First coat to fill large gaps, second coat to smooth walls, third coat as finish coat and final quick sand with 220-grit. But I am mildly obsessive-compulsive which helps here.

A: I also had this mess to deal with. I ended up peeling the first layer of drywall off – to the brown paper, sanding off the fuzzies, sealing with primer, patching gouges/uneven spots and then hanging paintable wallpaper. The walls look great and it was very economical. The only cost was for 1 roll of wallpaper, the primer and a sanding block.

A: The brown paper can be sealed down tight with Gardz made by Zinser. You will need to remove the loose stuff and then apply it very heavy until it won’t take any more then let it dry and the paper won’t bubble any more. The nice thing is it is a waterborne product. Then proceed with whatever you want to put over it to smooth it out.

Sources:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf275142.tip.html
http://www.fauxforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3609

All walls need some kind of insulation otherwise you’re risking a loss of heat in your home through cool drafts, thermal leakage, or actual condensation and damage along the inside of the wall itself. By adding this barrier between your walls, you will be able to reduce drafting, dust build-up, noise pollution, and the temperature on your thermostat, creating savings on your utility bill. However, if you live in an older house with no pre-existing form of interior padding, then your best option is blown-in insulation. Unlike the common batting which is often installed in walls as the original construction is being performed, this loose fill material is literally pumped into the pre-existing wall through a small opening made by your contractor.

Does your home contain contaminated Chinese Drywall? This testing advice from the New York Times can help a homeowner determine if he or she is one of the thousands in over 30 states with the poisonous plasterboard.

Some ways to tell if you have Chinese Drywall in your home:

– Sulfuric smell. (Also a sign that you have descended into the less-favorable Afterworld. It’s best to inspect for fire, brimstone and the tortured souls of the eternally damned to eliminate this possibility)

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A sheet of drywall, while relatively strong, only consists of a layer of gypsum plaster between two thick sheets of paper. It’s then kiln-dried to ensure rigidity. This basic construction allows the drywall to be both inexpensive and easy to use. On the downside; it is also easily damaged.

In most homes, there are usually one or two nicks, dings or holes in the walls that need attention. If the damage doesn’t extend all the way through the drywall, then the fix is simple. Just remove any loose plaster or paper around the edge and apply some drywall spackle. Wait for it to dry, sand the area and apply another coat if needed. Sand it again when dry and that will do it. 

One of the greatest ways to decorate the walls and ceilings in a home is through imaginative painting techniques called “faux,” which is a French word for “fake.” As much as faux painting copies items like marble and metal the techniques goes back to Mesopotamian Empire of 3000 B.C. In the Middle Ages faux reached its glory days and a painter of “the guild” had to apprentice for 10 years or more before the master let him touch a finish.

The Art-deco craze of the 1920′s and 30′s brought the style back. And since the great trees of the country were being decimated clear wood was becoming scarce so faux wood painting became popular.
Wallpaper became popular for a bout 50 years or so and then began to vanish as faux filled the gap.

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Pest control is a difficult task. Learning how to get rid of fleas, ants, mice, rats, crickets, roaches, and bees is no walk in the park. Even bug zappers offer a false sense of security; do it yourself pest control may not always be the best option, especially when termites have invaded your structure, potentially wrecking the foundation of your home. Learn more about pest control in these articles, and find out how to best find a pest management solution for your own home.  

Drywall is now a common element you find in modern homes. Otherwise known as sheetrock or Gyproc, it is composed of gypsum materials sandwiched between two pieces of heavy paper. It is a very versatile material that you can manipulate several different ways.  It is so versatile that it can be glued, nailed or screwed. To cover up the drywall, you can also use paint or wallpaper. The possibilities are endless. You can do a lot of things with drywall and it won’t break the bank because it is relatively cheap.  

Bob Schmidt shows you some simple tips and techniques for building straight walls while doing basic framing in your home remodel project.

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