We're installing new cabinets in the kitchen and naturally the back splash tiles had to come out.
Now I was told by my "handyman" that all I would need to do is, scrape off the glue and he would apply mud over top of the existing drywall.

I don't mind installing new drywall, but which is actually the better faster way to do things? I figured maybe he's wanting more hours out of the project and wants to mud, sand, mud, sand, etc.

Whereas if my friends and I simply install new drywall, it would be quicker and there would be new drywall, not some 40+ year old stuff.

Thanks for any input.

 

It will likely be less work to skim coat the existing drywall. New drywall requires more work... prefilling panel edge gaps, taping all edges and corners, then coating with 3 coats of joint compound. By skimming, it should hopefully only be 2 coats.

 

I would also scrape and skim coat the walls. I think it's always best to keep the drywall intact if possible when tearing out tile, not always easy to do.

Apply Gardz primer to the walls before skimming to ensure adhesion.

 

Gardz is especially important if there is exposed gypsum and/or torn paper as it will seal the wall so the moisture in the j/c or latex primer won't cause more damage [softening the gypsum, lifting more paper]

 

Some corners have been torn out already (oops my bad).
So they do need re-taping.


Should I ask my handyman if he's applying Gardz primer, because all he said was, it just needed a couple of coats of "mud" and it'd be good to go.


A lot of paper has been torn off, really giving me anxiety about what to do. lol

 

Sometimes you can get buy with applying mud directly over raw gypsum but not always. It is very difficult to mud up to or over torn paper and not have more paper come loose. Zinnser's Gardz is a cheap insurance to make sure there aren't any problems. An oil base primer can be used instead of Gardz.

 

I would make sure the Gardz is used. It keeps the drywall compound from bubbling or blistering when it's applied over torn paper. As Mark said, it also glues the loose paper down.

 

Just to be clear, loose paper should be removed but don't just pull it off as it will remove stuck paper too. It's best to cut/score the paper and then peel to the cut mark. Once that is done you can apply the gardz.

 

I would ask him, he might not know of the primer and it makes the job better and easier.

Like Mark said, remove the big pieces. The loose paper I referred to is the feathered edges of a tear. Sealing the edges down and sealing the raw paper goes a long way to getting a nice finish right off the bat.

 

Well I took the tiles down and obviously some damage. lol

So do you guys still think patching is a good idea or maybe just cutting out some big sheets of drywall and going that route?
I'm okay with either way, I'd just like to know what's the most efficient way?
Again, thanks in advance

 

IMO skim coating is quicker, you will need to coat bare areas with Gardz or an oil base primer first.

 

As others have said. Don't ask your handy man, tell him to skim coat use Gardz.

 

Alright, we'll go that route.

Now as for this one piece where the cupboard as it collapsed push in the side of the drywall right in, I'm guessing a new cut out piece of drywall is best?

 

If it's behind the cabinet I wouldn't be overly concerned but if it will be visible I'd replace that section [stud to stud]

 

Well, thanks to a very ambitious friend, we decided to simply buy new drywall and got it cut to size at Home Depot, fit like a glove, EXCEPT one issue....

....my friend decided to be Freddy Kreuger while cleaning up the old drywall to allow for a clean fit. So I told him to be careful with the vapor barrier and since I mentioned Freddy, you know where this is headed. He did quite of a hack job in a few places, some slices very close to one another.

I mentioned it to another friend and he said I should take the drywall down and tape it up.
Is tape sufficient enough? I mean he did hack quite a few strokes into the barrier.

Otherwise, it would have been perfect.

 

Yikes!...I am by no means a pro at drywall and I value the advice I have got on here but.....I think you went the correct way.

In half the time you take trying to remove the tile, glue, torn paper, applying sealer, etc...I would have cut/knocked out an the middle section of drywall (above and below the line of the new cabinets, without bothering to remove tile), installed new perfect drywall and done a couple of quick skim coats of 30 minute mud. Most of it would have been hidden behind the reinstalled cabinets and you be left with a perfect back wall for whatever you were going to do vs a wall that has a thick skim of mud that is hopefully even. The amount of corners you have is minimal.

RE vapor barrier, unscrew the drywall (you did use screws??), cut out the old vapor barrier evenly on top and on bottom and tape nice and clean. Assuming you have a hack job as you said. I've always been a fan of making it right than fixing a bunch of errors.