So I jumped into the DIY hobby but deciding to remove the wallpaper in my mom's bathroom. It was built it 1977. I pulled the wallpaper using water-vinegar solution off one wall and the wall was perfect. The other wall had imperfections, discoloring and maybe glue or adhesive?

My question is can I just skim coat the damaged side or do I have to cover it with new drywall?

Also since it was built in 1977, is there a risk of asbestos in the wallpaper? Is this vinyl wallpaper?

Thanks.

 

Welcome to the forums!

I've never heard of asbestos in wallpaper or it's adhesive, not saying it isn't a possibility but I've never heard of it.

Most wallpaper is vinyl and vinyl is often the hardest to strip because it repels water. It's best to remove it all but that is easier said than done. I'd sand the wall prior to skim coating. IF there is any torn paper those areas need to be coated with either Zinnser's Gardz or an oil base primer. Same for any leftover adhesive if it isn't completely covered by the skim coat.

 

I did a quick google search cause I was curious myself. I have a similar situation and came up with a bunch of sites saying it was common to use it.

https://www.asbestos.net/asbestos/pr...nyl-wallpaper/

As to removal I am not sure. I am a mechanic at a power plant and if we think something is asbestos, we call in the pipe insulators to take care of it.

 

Just an FYI....,... the risk from asbestos is when it's airborne. Not touched asbestos is inert. It's when it's disturbed or sanded. Removing the wall paper with water and vinegar was the best thing to use as it keeps any fibers contained.

There were so many products that had asbestos in them that you could never keep up. Technically any time you work on a project where asbestos could be found..... you should have it checked by a lab and then removed accordingly. My outlook is any time you work with something that can become airborne..... wear a paper/fiber mask. That also includes fiberglass insulation which can be just as deadly as asbestos when it gets in the lungs.

 

Also if you keep asbestos wet while removing and bagging up you lessen the danger a lot. As Pete said it's only a health issue when in dry breathable form.

btw - welcome to the forums Jason and thanks for the link.

 

After removing the wallcovering, itself, re-wet the wall, preferably with a small garden sprayer. Put rolled up old towels if you have any along the baseboard. Then, if you have any long runs of wallpaper that you have pulled off, lay them, print-side-up, over the towels and butted up to the baseboard so that you can later roll it up and throw it away. After wetting the wall section(try not to work with more than 5-6' of wall-space, horizontally, at a time. Get some cheap painters sheet plastic and cut into a manageable 6-7 foot width and run it from ceiling to floor and cover the section of 8x5-6'w that you wet. Wet if TWICE BEFORE you cover the wall with plastic. smooth the plastic down over the wet wall to remove most or all of the air trapped behind it. This will allow the removal solution to soften the adhesive. NOTE: It will probably soften any spackle as well.
After 10 minutes, remove the sheet plastic. Using a 4" wide razor scraper on the wall surface, scrape the residual paste off as well as possible without gouging the tender, wet wallboard. Then, while still wet, scour the surface with a medium scour pad that sometimes can be found in the tile section of H.D. I don't know if they still carry a graduated coarseness pack of 4 scour pads with a stick on handle at H.D., but they used to. Use a small bucket with clean water in it, to refresh the pad when it clogs up with adhesive.
Once all of the section of wall is cleaned, wipe it down with a microfiber (very absorbent) towel to remove any excess water and residual paste.
Allow the whole room to dry for one-to-two days.
Next take a break-off blade knife to slice any bits of paper, and drywall that has been damaged. Next skim coat any areas that were gouged. Once it is almost completely dry, wet-sand those speckled spots with a wet sanding sponge.
Once all of this is done, Use either Zinsser Gardz or B.M. Fresh Start primer so seal the refurbished wall. Then when totally dry, eyeball th wall with a light on it, projected on an angle so that you can examine the surface to insure that you have a smooth surface. Now you're ready to finish coat the wall.
It's a long and tedious process. I've developed this process over a fifteen year period and over 100 jobs. It's effective. I have posted this process over the years, here. I haven't looked but, search my posts and you'll perhaps find another set of directions that are similar OR repost and I'll see what your questions are.