# Alternatives to drywall?



## Rehabber (Dec 29, 2005)

Why Don't you drywall it yourself? That is what this site is for. A lot of members here have drywalled without any previous experience. A lot of good people here to help walk you through it :yes:


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

If I actually had the time, I'd love to learn to drywall. But as it stands, I spend 60 + hours a week at work. In fact, that's where I'm at now. So I'm looking for an alternative (if there is one) that's fairly cheap, material wise, and consumes as little time as possible.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Installing drywall is not a difficult job. Taping and compounding it requires practice and finesse. You could cut the cost down by just having the drywall you install taped by someone else.
I would remove the paneling and see what you have underneath. Burying potential problems is not a good idea.
Ron


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

cheap and fast? i'd user PL and glue fresh sheets over it. done.

DM


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

DangerMouse said:


> cheap and fast? i'd user PL and glue fresh sheets over it. done.
> 
> DM


What's PL?


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

PL construction adhesive

DM


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

Out of curiosity, I looked up PL. How many sheets should I be able to hang per tube?


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

i get the large 28 oz tubes. one of those should do most all of what you need. for what you're doing, you don't need TOO much. there are other glues that will work as well. i just like the holding power of this stuff. it takes a while to set, so be prepared to clamp some pieces overnight. there are hundreds of options here, but you said fast and cheap..... 
with a bit more effort, you could remove old panelling and replace it. that way all the outlets, trim, etc. will not need adjusting. personally, i'd do it this way.

DM


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Cheap & easy would be to paint the paneling
I did that at one place until I could go back & do what I wanted
It came out pretty good so I actually left it for a while


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

tried to paint panelling once... did NOT like the outcome! lol
glad it worked for SOMEone....

DM


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> i get the large 28 oz tubes. one of those should do most all of what you need. for what you're doing, you don't need TOO much. there are other glues that will work as well. i just like the holding power of this stuff. it takes a while to set, so be prepared to clamp some pieces overnight. there are hundreds of options here, but you said fast and cheap.....


How do you clamp it?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Just Some Guy:

If you're saying you don't have time to drywall, then you should realize that you don't have time to create extra work for yourself either.

Gluing new paneling over old paneling is going to be almost as much work as hanging drywall (cuz you still have to measure and cut the panelling), but it won't provide the appearance that you or a potential future buyer would want to see.

If you don't have time to start drywalling, then my advice is to work at a slower rate. Replace your paneling with drywall, but do it at a slower rate that you can sustain given the constrains on your time and your wallet.

But, putting up new paneling over old paneling with the intention of eventually tearing it all down and putting up drywall is, quite frankly, stupidity on stilts. You'd be much better off slowly putting up new drywall and learning how to do it as you go.

It's not at all difficult.

Taping is a problem for most people, so use fiberglass mesh tape. I've never seen a newbie get a bubble in fiberglass mesh tape.

Butt joints are a problem for most people, so use a curved trowel. A curved trowel looks like an ordinary plastering trowel until you sight along it's edge or set it down on a flat surface and realize the trowel actually arches up about 1/8 of an inch in the middle. Since you hold the trowel at a comfortable angle to the wall when using it, a curved trowel will allow you to spread a perfectly smooth "mount" of joint compound over a butt joint that's only about 1/16 of an inch thick in the middle. That's plenty of mud thickness to bury fiberglass mesh tape in, but it's too shallow a mount to be perceptible, even if you have wall mounted light fixtures.

Don't use metal corner bead. Mix some white wood glue into your mud to make a sticky mud and "glue" vinyl corner bead onto your outside corners with that sticky mud. Use painter's masking tape to hold that corner bead in place until it dries, and you'll be better off than using metal corner bead.

If you just learn a few tips and tricks like this, the work will go faster and easier than you think.

If your short of money and time, what you should be doing is working toward your goal slower, not working toward a different goal with the intention of redoing it all in future.


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## CyFree (Jul 22, 2008)

*I completely agree with Nestor*

on this one. 
As I see it, the only cheap and quick solution, would be painting the panel. Maybe counting on the fact that the result will not be as smooth as expected, consider applying some texture or simple "faux-finish" technique to hide possible imperfections.

I would not apply anything on top of what is there for all the reasons Nestor listed.


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice.



CyFree said:


> on this one.
> As I see it, the only cheap and quick solution, would be painting the panel. Maybe counting on the fact that the result will not be as smooth as expected, consider applying some texture or simple "faux-finish" technique to hide possible imperfections.


What do you mean by faux finish technique?


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## scowl (Jan 22, 2009)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> Taping is a problem for most people, so use fiberglass mesh tape. I've never seen a newbie get a bubble in fiberglass mesh tape.


Oh gosh, I've done much worse than that with fiberglass mesh. I can always see the mesh through the mud after it dries unless I make a thicker joint which makes it harder to finish. I've also found that the sticky mesh (the stuff that you stick to the joint before you put any mud on it) ends up making a weaker joint. One wall got bumped with a chair and a chunk of mud fell off the joint leaving the mesh completely exposed. It looked like the mud never made it through the mesh to the drywall. To fix it I slapped mud on the joint and mashed the mesh into it.

I'm sure others have had more success with the mesh than I have but I went back to the old wet tape and premudding the joints.


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## drtbk4ever (Dec 29, 2008)

I too agree with Nestor. 

Why go to the trouble of putting something over the panelling if it isn't what you want. 

Faux finishes are painting techniques that make the paint look like marble, leather, or whatever. Again the time you spend learning and doing the painting and faux finishing is just a waste of time.

Home improvement is a process not an event. Quit looking for an easy way out and jump into it. Pick a room and give it a go.


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## CyFree (Jul 22, 2008)

*Faux-finishes*

are painting techniques that make a painted surface look like something else.

Leather, marble, etc... 

I do not agree with what drtbk says though. Some techniques are hard to master, and time consuming.

Some are quite simple. As simple as "sponging" a splash of color over a different color background, smudging it with a dry brush or using a "textured" roll available in any hardware store. 

There is this PainterLady website I like a lot.(Painting stuff is my hobby). It's like DIYers paradise. She has a lot of how-to videos and articles showing different techniques and a ton of info and resources. Take a look and you might find some inspiration and ideas.


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

thanks for that link Cy:thumbup:


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice. I'm taking everything that's been said into consideration.



drtbk4ever said:


> Quit looking for an easy way out and jump into it. Pick a room and give it a go.


Besides being at work 60 hours per week, I'm also a single dad to 2 little ones with no help from anyone. So yes, I am going to look for the simplest, easiest way to do things whenever possible.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

i understand not wanting to paint over the panels because of the grooves cut in them... it'd just look too much like, well, painted panels!
i've used this stuff for various projects and have always had great results. walls, floors, i want to do my countertops with it when i get them in the new kitchen. look at the home page and see all the stuff it does. i even did a ceramic horse vase for the wife that had cracks and had been painted. hid the cracks, and it still looks great after 15 years or more now. 
http://www.daichcoatings.com/Design Ideas Images/pages/Project11_jpg.htm
it's like CyFree said, you can do tons of colors and effects, and it's easy to cover those grooves too! with this stuff, it shouldn't look like paneling any more, and it's fast and easy to do too. and it costs close to paint too.

DM


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## scowl (Jan 22, 2009)

One cheap thing you'll see in old apartments is mud painted right over whatever is on the wall. They take some thinned mud and simply "paint" it onto the walls with a paint roller. That leaves you with paintable walls that look something like textured plaster. It's not a beautiful technique but it does cover up a lot quickly and it's very cheap.

They did this to an apartment I lived in that was obviously drywall mud over wall paper. I got sick of looking at the seams (the mud tends to make the wall paper peel off) and removed the mud and the *five* layers of wall paper under it leaving very nice plaster that needed a quick skim coat.

To do this with paneling, you'd need to fill the grooves with mud first before hitting it with a paint roller.


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

scowl said:


> To do this with paneling, you'd need to fill the grooves with mud first before hitting it with a paint roller.


So do I fill with mud and that's it? Or is there more to it than that, like taping drywall?


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## scowl (Jan 22, 2009)

justsomeguy said:


> So do I fill with mud and that's it? Or is there more to it than that, like taping drywall?


You won't need to tape the grooves in panels (just fill them up with mud) but it wouldn't hurt to tape where two panels are nailed next to each other. There's a chance that the mud will crack here if they get bumped. The tape will strengthen the joint.


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## stubborn1 (Oct 24, 2008)

Another cheap and easy option besides painting the paneling would be installing wallpaper over it. 

As far as a "good" solution, it doesn't get much cheaper than drywall. Have you thought about hanging the rock yourself and then just hiring someone to tape it? You can usually save a buck or two doing it that way.


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

scowl said:


> You won't need to tape the grooves in panels (just fill them up with mud) but it wouldn't hurt to tape where two panels are nailed next to each other. There's a chance that the mud will crack here if they get bumped. The tape will strengthen the joint.


I found a few videos on Youtube today about how to do this, so I'm thinking about giving this a try this weekend. However, one of the videos mentioned possible shrinkage of the mud after it dries, but didn't go into more detail. Is shrinkage something I should worry about?


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

since the grooves are raw wood normally in cheap panels, perhaps mixing in some elmer's white glue to the mud would be a good idea?

DM


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## jayharold (Dec 29, 2008)

If your are going to fill in the grooves on the paneling I think it would be easier putting up drywall. You are going to have to mud the whole panel. Just my opinion.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Justsomeguy:

If you're planning on doing the "painting drywall mud with a roller" technique, then I agree with DangerMouse that adding some white wood glue to your mud will help it stick in the grooves better. The more glue you add, the stickier the mud will be, the harder it will dry and the more difficult it will be to sand smooth.

So, don't sand it smooth. Take a paint scraper and scrape it down. The tungsten carbide paint scrapers available from Sandvik or Bahco work very well for this. You can buy them at Lee Valley.

Every drywall joint compound shrinks as it dries. You normally just apply a second coat to fill in the shrinkage. However, you'll see that the shrinkage is small, and you very well may be able to just go over that paneling with your mudded roller. I've never done this "mud on a roller" technique, so I'd be little concerned that as the mud shrank as it dried, you might see faint vertical lines on your walls cuz of that differential shrinkage as the mud over the lines dries, and the mud between the lines dries. (You might want to try using a 3 inch roller and a piece of sheet metal to do any edging first, and if you don't see faint lines on the stuff you did with a 3 inch roller, then proceed with using a 10 inch roller.)

If you do see faint lines, just give the lines another coat to fill in the shrinkage.

Most of the powders you mix with water to form a slurry will shrink as the water evaporates out of them. I think the only one that doesn't is cement (cuz most of the mixing water doesn't evaporate, it ends up being chemically bound up in the concrete).


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## justsomeguy (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for the tips. I plan to try this this Saturday, and will let you guys know how well it works for me. Wish me luck.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

let us know what you end up doing, and before and after pics would be cool too, if possible!

DM


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## drtbk4ever (Dec 29, 2008)

Before and after pictures would be nice.

And maybe you could get the youngsters involved on a small section of wall. That would be fun. OK, maybe not for you, but I'm sure the kids would have a blast.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

before-panelling
after-winnie the pooh stickers and handprints?

DM


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## scowl (Jan 22, 2009)

You will get some shrinkage in the grooves as the water in the mud evaporates as Nestor says but it won't be much. I doubt it will be visible through the paint rolled mud which will have a rough texture. As for throwing in wood glue, that's a fun idea. You could pour in some latex additives too (normally used in thin set mortar) and see what happens. This is more of an art project than a construction project and whatever you end up with won't look like the paneling.

This is definitely easier than putting up drywall. This is almost as easy as painting.


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## PirateKatz (Sep 10, 2008)

Long ago, my wife and I decided to take the "easy" route with wood paneling in the addition to our house. We wound up scrubbing the panels down, sanding them, taping all the seems, spackling all of the grooves, sanding the grooves down, putting on several coats of primer, and then painting the panels. The end result actually looks pretty good.

We just grossly underestimated how much work and how messy the job would become. For our kitchen (the only other paneled room in our house), I fully intend to learn how to lay drywall.


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## ratherbefishin' (Jun 16, 2007)

Hmmm......no one's asking the obvious and most important question here....what's under the paneling?:whistling2:


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I took paneling down in my last house - looked like crap
Underneath was sheetrock, that also looked like crap
That became the standard for what I found in the house :yes: 

But I paid $23k for a house that was soon appraised at $68k
So I was happy


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## ratherbefishin' (Jun 16, 2007)

Whaddaya want for 23k, Dave...:laughing: Point is, if there's drywall under the paneling, and it looks like crap but isn't falling apart, you can skim it, texture it if you want, paint it and be done. If the paneling is just nailed to the studs, filling and/or taping over it will eventually fail and crack.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Actually the sheetrock in my case was merely pieces
Large 3"+ gaps between pieces
I took one piece off & there was a dead mouse in the wall
If the it had just concentrated on digging in one spot it could have made it thru the sheetrock

Ya mean I can't buy a mansion for $23k


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## ratherbefishin' (Jun 16, 2007)

It's all a matter of perspective, Dave. After Katrina, all the high dollar homes close to the water here were leveled. My little 1400sq ft, 60 yr old house on a 1/2 acre 6 blocks from the beach is still standing. Who's got the mansion now?:winklus, it's bought and paid for and like yours, worth a lot more than I gave for it. Old houses are more fun, anyway!


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