# Drywall Tearing With Wallpaper



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Gardz primer over the damage, skim, sand, prime, paint. Try more patience with your stripping of the paper. Score it, wet it, wet it some more, keep wetting it.......you get the picture. Sometimes wetting it over and over with a garden sprayer or even rolling warm water onto the paper with a paint roller does the trick. Sometimes you have to wet it for upwards of an hour before it begins to come off without damaging the drywall.

That's actually typical damage to the drywall and not too serious.....YET.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Gymschu said:


> Gardz primer over the damage, skim, sand, prime, paint. Try more patience with your stripping of the paper. Score it, wet it, wet it some more, keep wetting it.......you get the picture. Sometimes wetting it over and over with a garden sprayer or even rolling warm water onto the paper with a paint roller does the trick. Sometimes you have to wet it for upwards of an hour before it begins to come off without damaging the drywall.
> 
> That's actually typical damage to the drywall and not too serious.....YET.


Well that's probably a bit of the issue lol. Didn't score or wet. I had seen something where there's the decorative layer and then a second layer that you wet with hot water. Pretty much done ripping it down at this point.

How does the skimming work? I don't mean to sound like a total idiot but I've tried watching a couple DIY videos on it and it seems like they all differ and all say the other is doing it wrong.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

There's dozens of videos on here about skim coating.......Search for SirMixAlot. He's a drywall expert and made some of the videos........If the damage is limited like it is in your picture, you won't have to skim coat. Just Gardz, some spackle or Joint Compound, sand, prime, paint.

http://www.diychatroom.com/f101/extensive-drywall-patching-best-way-eliminate-texture-476642/

There's one of Mix's videos at the end of this thread. ^^^^^^^^


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

A little fabric softener in the water also helps imo. And it smells nice too.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Gymschu said:


> There's dozens of videos on here about skim coating.......Search for SirMixAlot. He's a drywall expert and made some of the videos........If the damage is limited like it is in your picture, you won't have to skim coat. Just Gardz, some spackle or Joint Compound, sand, prime, paint.
> 
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f101/extensive-drywall-patching-best-way-eliminate-texture-476642/
> 
> There's one of Mix's videos at the end of this thread. ^^^^^^^^


Thanks. I'll definitely have to check that as soon as I'm done dealing with this disaster. I'm sure I'm probably gonna have questions once I watch. I attached another picture with the main wall being mostly done, other than some patches.



kwikfishron said:


> A little fabric softener in the water also helps imo. And it smells nice too.


Yeah, this stuff smells awful coming down.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

So people put drywall...and then they figure they're gonnaaint it so they don't prime anything, just paste and wallpaper.....and then someone wants to change the paper....or paint...and oops.....it doesn't peel off. Lesson is prime EVERY raw surface no matter what finish you are going to put on them. As to your issue, looks like normal drywall stripping deal. Let the stuff dry, just skim joint compound over the oopses, sand lightly,rime.....which will raise the grain possibly so you might have to lightly sand again...and you're good to go.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

ront02769 said:


> So people put drywall...and then they figure they're gonnaaint it so they don't prime anything, just paste and wallpaper.....and then someone wants to change the paper....or paint...and oops.....it doesn't peel off. Lesson is prime EVERY raw surface no matter what finish you are going to put on them. As to your issue, looks like normal drywall stripping deal. Let the stuff dry, just skim joint compound over the oopses, sand lightly,rime.....which will raise the grain possibly so you might have to lightly sand again...and you're good to go.


I assume the Gardz is what you're talking about skimming with? Sorry, Haven't done most of this crap before.

... And yeah, there's absolutely nothing between the paper and the drywall from what I can tell. When I'm pulling the paper down there's dust from the sheetrock going everywhere. 

Also, any suggestions on how to get the spare pieces of paper down? (Like ripping off a price tag :vs_mad: ) I've tried using a sponge and that seems to just embed it almost.


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## LanterDan (Jul 3, 2006)

Gardz is a specially primer which excels at sealing any residual wallpaper paste you are unable to remove (and there is always some). That is why you use it first before repairing the wall damage. An oil bases primer would also work, Gardz is water based and much easier to work with. Gardz also excels at stabilizing any exposed gypsum core of damaged drywall which can be an issue after wallpaper removal. 

It can sometimes be hard to find.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

LanterDan said:


> Gardz is a specially primer which excels at sealing any residual wallpaper paste you are unable to remove (and there is always some). That is why you use it first before repairing the wall damage. An oil bases primer would also work, Gardz is water based and much easier to work with. Gardz also excels at stabilizing any exposed gypsum core of damaged drywall which can be an issue after wallpaper removal.
> 
> It can sometimes be hard to find.


This may be a dumb question but does the Gardz act as a skim coat? Or is it just applied before skim coating? And if it's a prep for the skim coat, is there something I'd have to do in its' place if I didn't use the Gardz?

And yeah, finding it is the main issue. Wanted to get this project done before my vacation ended. Lowes doesn't sell it at all, and I wouldn't be able to get it at Home Depot or Menards until the 7th.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

WingsMJN2965 said:


> And yeah, finding it is the main issue. Wanted to get this project done before my vacation ended. Lowes doesn't sell it at all, and I wouldn't be able to get it at Home Depot or Menards until the 7th.


Just go to a hardware store (Ace, Do-it-Best, etc) or paint store (BM, SW) You should be able find it on the shelf somewhere locally.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

kwikfishron said:


> Just go to a hardware store (Ace, Do-it-Best, etc) or paint store (BM, SW) You should be able find it on the shelf somewhere locally.


I'll have to check to see what we have around here. Do you apply the Gardz AS a skim coat or does it go on before the skim coat? And if it's not going on as a skim coat, do you just apply it to the damaged areas or the whole wall?

Again, sorry for the endless questions. New to a lot of this and I prefer getting it right the first time.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

WingsMJN2965 said:


> I'll have to check to see what we have around here. Do you apply the Gardz AS a skim coat or does it go on before the skim coat? And if it's not going on as a skim coat, do you just apply it to the damaged areas or the whole wall?
> 
> Again, sorry for the endless questions. New to a lot of this and I prefer getting it right the first time.


Gardsz is a PRIMER(like paint), skim coat(which you don't need) is joint compound.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

chrisn said:


> Gardsz is a PRIMER(like paint), skim coat(which you don't need) is joint compound.


Ahh, so will the Gardz take care of the inconsistency between the torn layer and the sheetrock itself?


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Gardz will not fill in irregular surfaces. As Ron said, prime, then skim irregular areas, sand , prime and you are good to go


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Quick question, I have some stubborn wallpaper that refuses to come off no matter how much I scrape it. It's almost like it's embedded into the wall. Do I absolutely have to get it off (Feel like I'm going to damage the drywall from going too hard, and it's a PITA) before putting the Gardz on, or will the Gardz still seal it from bubbling?

Sizes are roughly like this.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

One last thing you can try is to score it with a paper tiger tool or scuff it up with an orbital or sheet sander so that water can penetrate and reactivate the paste. Once you've scuffed it up, wet it really well. Then cover it with Saran Wrap and let it marinate a while. Pull back the plastic every 10 minutes or so and wet it again. That may be enough to release it from the wall.

If that fails, buy some DIF Gel. Spray the gel onto the paper and cover it with the plastic. The gel will stay wet for quite a while longer than simple water. If none of that works, skim a coat of joint compound over the paper and leave it be for about an hour. Use a putty knife to scrape off the compound AND the paper........those are the only tricks I can think of at the moment.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

It will come off if you score and wet as described by Gymschue in his prior response. Paint will not cover irregularities, it will magnify them. Remove all the paper, and proceed to repair damaged areas as previously described.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Gymschu said:


> One last thing you can try is to score it with a paper tiger tool or scuff it up with an orbital or sheet sander so that water can penetrate and reactivate the paste. Once you've scuffed it up, wet it really well. Then cover it with Saran Wrap and let it marinate a while. Pull back the plastic every 10 minutes or so and wet it again. That may be enough to release it from the wall.
> 
> If that fails, buy some DIF Gel. Spray the gel onto the paper and cover it with the plastic. The gel will stay wet for quite a while longer than simple water. If none of that works, skim a coat of joint compound over the paper and leave it be for about an hour. Use a putty knife to scrape off the compound AND the paper........those are the only tricks I can think of at the moment.


Ya I've sanded it and that seems to just embed it. I'll definitely try again maybe put fresh hot water in there since it's cooled down a bit.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

ZTMAN said:


> It will come off if you score and wet as described by Gymschue in his prior response. Paint will not cover irregularities, it will magnify them. Remove all the paper, and proceed to repair damaged areas as previously described.


Ya, definitely clear on the repairing damaged areas. I'm just doing Gardz on the whole room and then going to do a couple layers Skim coat.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

May be a dumb question but in reading back through it seems everybody is just saying to skim the blemishes. I have... A lot. Would you guys recommend just skimming the entire room or hitting the flaws? In other words if it were your house which would you do?

This is what I'm looking at, finished.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Finished putting the Gardz on tonight. Still wondering if I should just skim coat the whole thing or just repair the damaged areas. FWIW the drywall is a bit textured even when stripped down, so any patchwork repairs would leave inconsistencies in the texture. Let me know of your opinions/advice.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

IF the drywall has texture, you will need to skim the whole wall to make it look even.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

A Forum member, the guru of drywall repairs, SirMixAlot, posted a interesting video in a thread on how to skim an entire wall. He used a heavy nap roller to roll a coating of mud on the wall and then smoothed it out.
Looks easy for him on the video, but most likely beyond my skill set.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

chrisn said:


> IF the drywall has texture, you will need to skim the whole wall to make it look even.


Yup, that's what I was figuring. Oh well, with as many spots as are messed up might as well do it anyways. Plus I like smoothed better than texture.



ZTMAN said:


> A Forum member, the guru of drywall repairs, SirMixAlot, posted a interesting video in a thread on how to skim an entire wall. He used a heavy nap roller to roll a coating of mud on the wall and then smoothed it out.
> Looks easy for him on the video, but most likely beyond my skill set.


Yeah that was posted on the first page. And looks easy yes... So hopefully it is. :vs_lol:


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Starting on the skim coat. When I scrape it seems like a lot ends up coming off... Does it all need to be like the top corner where it's gray, or does the thinning where you can see white just happen normally?


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Looks normal to me. You really don't want to "scrape" it, you just want to "trowel it down" with a taping knife. 6 inch works well for a beginner. You will get some ridges and that too is normal. When the mud dries, just scrape off the ridges and apply your second coat of mud. After the final coat, allow it to dry, scrape off the ridges then sand it all with any number of sanding items......sanding sponges, pole sanders, etc.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

After moving on I found that I didn't scrape as hard, so I applied some more and went back over it.

I'm hoping that comes out much better.

For some reason these always post sideways... Sorry.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

WingsMJN2965 said:


> After moving on I found that I didn't scrape as hard, so I applied some more and went back over it.
> 
> I'm hoping that comes out much better.
> 
> For some reason these always post sideways... Sorry.


Don't feel bad, I think it is some function of transferring from phone to here, mine always do it too.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Quick update. This is what it's looking like after drying for about 20 hours. I'm a little concerned about that discolored area near the baseboards about 18 inches to the right of the left outlet. It almost looks like it's not completely dry and is bubbling, which makes no sense to me considering that wasn't even one of the blemished areas and I put Gardz on the whole thing.

Also, posted a close up. How the hell do I get rid of these Canyon like areas?


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Second layer is on. (The more I work with that stuff the more I'm OK with leaving the other wallpaper up :vs_lol: )

Will sand things down in the morning. I noticed everybody was saying prime and paint separately. I take it this is necessary and you can't just do the paint/primer mix? And anybody got a primer recommendation?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Just use the Gardz


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Sanded today... Quick found out that the worst part about sanding was the cleanup after... It was like a friggin disaster zone in the house.

Little bits of cratered areas. Dunno if I should try to sand em down again or plug em or just let em go.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

I use a dustless sander, works great

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hyde-Dust-Free-Drywall-Hand-Sander-Kit-with-6-Foot-Hose-09165/100659771


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I would fill those craters, you'll be glad you did before painting the final coat(s). You've come this far in transforming those walls, don't leave the job incomplete.


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## WingsMJN2965 (Feb 27, 2017)

Gymschu said:


> I would fill those craters, you'll be glad you did before painting the final coat(s). You've come this far in transforming those walls, don't leave the job incomplete.


I want to, but time's becoming a factor. Off vacation on Wednesday.


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## badtheba (Jul 3, 2011)

If you do decide to paint without filling, you could always fill small craters with spackling later on and not have quite the mess as you do with joint compound drywall sanding. I usually do jobs like this in stages, and have no problem going back over a primed or painted surface 2-3 times to get things I've missed. I do prefer to use the regular vinyl spackling over lightweight spackling, though, as I think it sands better and is less "gummy". With these minor touch up repairs you can finish same day, as spackling is generally quick drying, especially in very thin applications. A small sander from 3M works wonders for these touch ups. I would recommend rolling primer across patched areas again, though, or you may notice a difference in smoothness between areas repaired with spackling and the surrounding area if you don't sand to an even surface and prime before painting again.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-2-7-8...ding-Sponge-3-Sponge-Pack-CP040-3PK/202940510


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