I am attempting to remove the wallpaper off of my bathroom walls. Unfortunately the former owners, did not prime the drywall, and as I strip the wallpaper, I also remove the outer layer of the drywall. It looks horrible. I was thinking of finishing the wall using some type of textured paint. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed? I have never tried this before. How difficult is it? Where should I start?

TIA

 

I don't have a clue about textured paint but do have some thoughts for you to consider.

First off, mark the previous owners off your Christmas card list.
Second, textured paint isn't your only option.

If you want to do the "right" thing, you should repair your walls prior to painting, even with texture. The wall surface should be firmed up with a primer/sealer. Many primers on the market come with a big, honking label that says "Primer/Sealer". Do not believe this. If you want to seal your wall, use one of the few products that is designed with drywall repair in mind. Such as Scotch Paint's Draw-Tite, Zinsser's Gardz, Roman's Liquid Drywall, Seal-Krete's waterproofing sealer, and Sherwin Williams' PrepRite Drywall Conditioner.

Once it's sealed, you can patch with joint compound and paint. Or if working with joint compound isn't your forte', you can hang some wall liner. This is a thick, blank wallpaper designed to bridge itself over problems wall areas like damaged drywall, brick, tile, etc. You can get it at most home improvement stores or online at www.wallliner.com. Using either of these two methods will allow you to get your walls back to ground zero so to speak. From there, you can paint or even better, hang some wallpaper!

 

Skim coat the wall wth a setting type joint compund. Do not seal it first. It will only make for a poorer bond with the patching material. Try and do the job with setting compound instead of regular premix. The setting is more water resistant. When the wall is back as smooth as you like it, apply a coat of oil/alkyd sealer primer. I had to redo an entire bathroom some %#%^% put flocked contact paper in. Contact paper strip card board really, really well.