Hello,

We have two layers of old wallpaper on drywall in our home. Even the ceiling is wallpaper! The previous owner painted everything white. Many walls are horribly patched, wallpaper seams are standing out and the paint job is horrible (bubbly). We tried to remove the wallpaper with various techniques, but the drywall paper comes off with the wallpaper. I have to do a lot of new drywall anyways and move walls, but don't want to do new drywall for the complete house.

I am trying to do the following:

- Replace the "no hope" drywall, approx. 20% of the total drywall in the home with new drywall.
- Sand the surface of the wallpaper with a handsander to get the bubbles and seams out ... I tried it on some spots and it seems to get it perfectly smooth
- Use an oil based primer to seal the wallpaper and patched drywall
- Add flat white paint.

Do you have any idea if that could turn out nice?

Thanks!
Ben

 

Use this stuff for priming:


It's for this type of situation

From the Zinsser Info:
GARDZ High Performance Sealer is a unique water-base sealer for porous and potential problem surfaces. It is formulated to deeply penetrate and dry to a hard, moisture resistant film that seals and binds down porous, chalky and crumbling surfaces, paints and texture finishes.

GARDZ is recommended for: damaged drywall, new drywall, spackling and joint compound skim coats, plaster, calcimine, uncoated wallpaper, wallcovering adhesive residue, texture paint, popcorn ceilings and builder's flat paint.

GARDZ takes the “problem” out of problem surfaces. It penetrates even multiple layers of drywall facing paper and even chalky, builder’s flat paint and dries to a rock-hard, water-resistant finish that protects surfaces from damage during the next redecorating project.


Other than that I suggest not being stingy with the new drywall
If a spot is going to be labor/material intensive to save, and you are getting 20% new drywall anyway, 22%...or 27%...or 32%, isn't going to make that much of a difference when you figure the time and materials to make an "iffy" wall as good as new

...and use a good quality flat paint, that'll help too

 

thank you, slickshift!!

 

I would just use the Gardz on the painted are that has the crap paint on it. For everything else,and over the Gardz,since you are painting white, I would use coverstain at least over the wallpaper. Maybe Bullseye 123 over everything else.

I may be wrong,but I don't think Gardz made to go over wallpaper and it is not necessary over new drywall.It is water based and may cause problems with the walllpaper lifting[the adhesive is waterbased]If I am wrong I stand corrected. If not use the Coverstain over the wallpaper at the very least.Coverstain is ok for everything including damaged drywall that is not in too bad shape. Gardz is better though.Just another step

"GARDZ is recommended for: damaged drywall, new drywall, spackling and joint compound skim coats, plaster, calcimine, uncoated wallpaper, wallcovering adhesive residue, texture paint, popcorn ceilings and builder's flat paint.

All of the above is just my opinion.


I feel it is necessary to again state that it is pretty imperative to clean the surface before you do anything including sanding.

 

Uncoated wallpaper means wallpaper not coated with acrylic or vinyl

 

I was looking to see what kind of wallpaper we were dealing with here. Still don't see it. Just this.

"two layers of old wallpaper on drywall"

Is that coated or uncoated. Has the wallpaper been painted?Is that waht "the previous homeowner painted everything white" means?

"We have two layers of old wallpaper on drywall in our home"

Is that 2 layers of painted wallpaper.

Reason I ask is how many homes have all the walls and ceilings wallpapered and maybe painted. I think I am just confused

 

Thank you very much for looking into this again!

Yes. The old wallpaper was painted over and I would like to keep some of the walls becaus I hope I could get the seams smooth, put a primer on it and then paint it with flat white paint. Will that be a problem with the water versus the oil-based primer?

The project I want to get started with this weekend includes any of the following:
- Some walls, completely new drywall.
- Some walls, completely old drywall/wallpaper/old paint
- Some walls mixed old drywall/wallpaper/old paint with new drywall patches.

Thanks!
Ben

 

The only problem with using latex primer over wallpaper is the moisture in the paint may loosen the adhesive under the paper. Since the wallpaper has already been painted atleast once I'm inclined to believe latex primer would be ok. Latex primer is preferred for new drywall.

 

hmm. I am now a little confused. So the water-based primer may cause problems with coated wallpaper and the oil-based primer is not suggested for new drywall. I could try to work with both on different walls where I have new drywall only or old wallpaper only, but there will be walls where new drywall and old wallpaper is mixed. Any ideas?

 

Now I'm a little confused...lol
All the wallpaper still on the wall has been painted?

 

If I understand correctly all the wallpaper has 1 or more coats of paint on it. If this is true I would use latex primer on both the wallpaper and new drywall as needed. Once wallpaper is painted it is harder for moisture to penatrate it which is why painted paper is harder to strip than unpainted wallpaper.

In the unlikely event that you run into a problem with the wallpaper loosening you can still fix that area by cutting out the loose and spackling the edges. BTW you can use oil primer on new drywall, latex just works better.

 

If this is true, I would also use latex primer on both