The previous owners taped the drywall joints in the basement. They then put wallpaper overtop of the unfinished drywall. No mud, plaster, or primer was used. I have tried various metheods of removing the wallpaper, but it tears the whole paper right down to the gypsum. Any suggestions as to how I cover this up? Do I Have to drywall over the existing walls?

Hi, I have just pulled off some wallpaper and it came of really nice. Big easy chunks. However, under the wallpaper, there are large sporadic areas of brown paint on the nice pink plaster. The paint is very thin but in some places it is flakey like on an old car with a dent - you can flake it off with your fingers. I want to paint the wall but I am afraid this paint will show through so I am wondering how best to remove it. 1. Orbital sander - worked but LOTS of dust and quite time consuming. 2. Heat gun? Haven't tried it yet. 3. Paint stripper? Haven't tried it yet 4. Scraper - works but VERY time consuming and I was making marks in the wall. What would you suggest as the best method to remove this paint prior to painting my walls? (matt magnolia)