I tried to peel the wallpaper last night from an older home and they did not prime the drywall with anything so of course I am also peeling some of the drywall paper off as well. My biggest issue is even getting the top layer of the wallpaper off. I have scoured with holes and used warm water and dawn dish liquid and also tried DIF. I have removed wallpaper several times and this is the first time I have ever encountered it being glued directly to the wall without a primer. I have seen a couple of other sites that suggest sanding down the paper, prime and then paint over the current paper. My question is what type of sand paper should I use to sand it with and do you agree with the process? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Welcome to the forums!

If you really wanted to sand it I would suggest renting a drywall sander and a fairly course paper (100 grit or less).

You might want to try renting a paper steamer. I have seen that work well on problem paper.

However, if it is really that stuck that it does not bubble when hit with water, you might want to just skim coat it with joint compound.

 

You can't sand successfully sand wallpaper! When it's not feasible to remove all the paper, the wall should be coated with either an oil base primer or Zinnser's Gardz. Once dry you can skim coat the wall with joint compond, sand lightly, remove the sanding dust, prime [latex primer is fine] and it should be ready for a nice looking paint job.

 

Gardz, made by Zinsser, is the best product bc it is water based. The cautions are that it 1) seems to be thinner than water and 2) it is NOT sandable after you do it. The benefit is that it seals everything porous on the wall including the previous paper (if porous) and the glue. You'll need a microfiber roller cover to apply it and when rolling it one, FIRST roll upward with a light pressure bc it will run all over the place. Keep a damp rag handy to wipe up splatters and runs and us a throw-away brush. After twenty minutes, the Gardz will start to cure on the brush- rinse often. After two hours on the wall (over night is best), then you can skim-coat. I've had cases where, after the Gardz has cured, I have installed Heavy Duty Liner Wall Paper over the cured Gardz, sealed THAT with Gardz, again, and then finish coated over the sealed liner paper with paint. From a distance of five feet or more, with your seams tightly laid, you'll have a pretty smooth surface. Both ways are either pricey or labor intensive.