# Resurfacing Drywall



## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Seal it up with Zinnser's Gardz
It'll lock in any old adhesive and turn any drywall paper/rips still showing hard so you can patch/repair with joint compound

The next step, is patch/skim with joint compound
Usually I end up with many, many, small patches
(The last one I did, there wasn't a spot of 3 sq. inches that didn't have at least a thin layer of J/C on it)

Then those repair spots must be primed
You could spot prime
If there's a lot, might as well prime the whole wall
You can use the Gardz if you still have some left over
But as you might have noticed if you used it before, it's not real "white" or good at hiding previous colors
Regular primer might be better depending on what it looks like and what's going up

At this point, it'll look pretty uniform (though primer won't look like paint-it'll be a little blotchy-but you'll get the idea), and any problem areas that you didn't really fix well will show up
Do more skim/repair if needed
Spot prime if needed

It should get you to a point where you can paint, and it'll look OK


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## mebsdad (Feb 10, 2007)

Thank's Slick, I think you've put me in the right direction. One quick question when covering larger areas with joint compound. What size knife or trowel do you recommend using?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Well, that depends
I usually start with a 4", go to 6" or 8", then to ten

A real big area....well, skimming's not my forte
I can git er done, but I'm not Michelangelo out there
I'd still prolly use a 4" or 6"
Then next round, size up to smooth out

I'm pretty sure my biggest taping knife is a ten


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## mebsdad (Feb 10, 2007)

Thanks again, Slick. I'm pretty sure that I can't make things worse then they already are. I'll give it a go and see what happens.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

I have pretty much the same situation as mebsdad. However, I kinda' wanted a little texture on my walls, and I had been advised to use a light weight drywall mud, trowel it on and work with it 'til I was happy with how it looked, then prime and paint.

I had considered troweling it on, letting it dry, then knocking down the high spots with sand paper. I was hoping that might give it the look of plaster.

Thoughts?

:wink:


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

When laying it on, go in different directions with the knife, let dry and and push your drywall knife to knock down the high spots. Then go over it again, to achieve the look you want. You should be able to get close to a venetian plaster look in the first pass, but almost always, it takes a second pass.
When dry, knock down the high spots with the knife and then sand the whole thing. This procedure will save time and avoid sanding as much as possible.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

That sounds like a great technique. When sanding, what grit do you recommend? Also can I use a large surface of some sort to attach the sand paper to or can I use my mouse sander?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

I'd recommend a (drywall) sanding screen on a pole for sanding

Medium grit for rough early sanding and knockdown of ridges and chunks etc. (or 150/180)
Fine for the finish sanding (or 180/220)

IIRC "the mouse" is too small to be effective, but may come in handy depending on what you are left with
The idea is to keep it smooth enough where you don't need a power sander

It doesn't always work out that way...lol


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

Use 150 grit paper on a pole sander. Don't sand too hard, you just want to smooth out any rough areas and not leave scratches that will show that sanding was done. The mouse will work if you don't have a pole sander. Some pros use sanding screens, but paper is more user friendly.

It can be primed with regular drywall primer/sealer, as long as it gets sealed really well. If you want to use your zinser on it, that will be even better.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

I'm really going to show my "newbie-ness",,,what is a pole sander??

:confused1:


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## ron schenker (Jan 15, 2006)

shapeshifter said:


> I'm really going to show my "newbie-ness",,,what is a pole sander??
> 
> :confused1:


It's basically a broom handle with a pad threaded onto the end. You put the sandpaper on the pad and sand away


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

Home depot, drywall department, theres and area where you get mud, tape, sandpaper and sanding poles.

It's a stick with a rectangular padded head. Sandpaper is specially cut to fit the head. Both in the same area.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

I carry two of the screen "backers"








One has Med, the other Fine, so I have both on hand and just switch the backers rather than the screens









I don't have one permanently attached to a pole, as I always carry poles for painting (I never roll w/o a pole)








I always bring a Wooster Sherlock adjustable positive lock 2 - 4 foot, and a 4 - 8 foot, so I'm usually covered
Makes both sanding and rolling go much quicker

The only reason I won't sand or roll with at least the 2 footer is there's simply not enough room

If I know there's high ceilings or walls I'll bring the 8-16 foot


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Thank you so much for the info. Looks like my job may be a bit easier.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2007)

Ok i skimmed over your responses. Now let the master come in. Any destroyed sheetrock facing, spray over with an oil based primer like KILZ. 
A master fills and smoothes any holes with mud (joint compound) with a putty knife. I pull out any nails prior to that. Do a rough sand in, which means knock off any high areas by whatever grit you have on hand. 
I use a cheap compressor and attach a texture gun or hopper($75 new at Lowes). Buy a bucket of joint compound (mud)and add a quart of water to loosen it up a bit, and stir it in by any means completely. Put it in the hopper and apply it at the finest setting. We dont want hugh wadds of mudd dripping down the wall. Higher the pressure, finer the spray pattern. 60 PSI is just fine. Dont put it on that heavy...two fives of mudd should do a 1400 square foot home. The mudd will cover a trillion wall imperfections. Paint when its dry. I own the hopper and for $25 in mudd I can give the home a whole new look front to back. 

And for you knock down texture people. WHY KNOCK IT DOWN WHEN YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF WORK AND TEXTURE IT ON FINE. I DONT GET IT!!!
The look you will get it so close to knockdown texture and 1/2 the work.


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

*I'm gonna toss this in....*

When I skim coated my house last year, I was having trouble leaving little ridges on the new mud...much like the washboards in a gravel road. The edge of the knife would chatter against the wall.

Fix: carry a small bottle with a squeeze trigger, when the mud seems to get too dry, give it a quick squirt of water. By the time I got to the last room of the house, I could leave the wall nearly perfectly smooth in about 1/3 third the time compared to when I started.

When I did have to sand, I switched from the mesh paper to the solid, it just seemed to leave a smoother finish. Good luck to ya, and I like the idea tossed out about having a 2 sanding heads.

Rip


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## mwehnes (Dec 14, 2006)

On a side note: Notice the guy in the first picture above wearing safety glasses and an air filter mask? Make sure you do the same thing and don't buy the cheapest mask in the store. In fact buy a couple masks. The dust created from sanding drywall is nasty stuff, espically when you inhale it.

I'm on the second day of sanding my bedroom ceiling (removed popcorn) and have to change out my mask. It's caked with ***********.


Matt


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Getting ready to start my next project. 

When I strip the wallpaper off, do I need to do any sanding or can I go straight to the priming?

My plan is still to trowel on mud in a couple of light coats to create a texture where the wall paper was.


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

shapeshifter said:


> Getting ready to start my next project.
> 
> When I strip the wallpaper off, do I need to do any sanding or can I go straight to the priming?
> 
> My plan is still to trowel on mud in a couple of light coats to create a texture where the wall paper was.


Yay, another project. 

If the drywall is primed or sized, sand. If it's bare drywall don't sand. In either case, no need to prime, go straight to the trowel. Then prime the new mud.
Are you using a specific deco idea to trowel on the mud?


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

How do I know if the drywall was ever primed or sized and sanded? The wallpaper is peeling off in one piece, just like it went up.

I've been practicing on a scrap sheet with a light-weight mud and a large trowel. I'm thinking about:

--Troweling 2 or 3 lightweight coats, looking for a stucco or plaster like finish

--Troweling 1 or 2 lightweight coats and try for a knock-down like finish

--Troweling 1 or 2 lightweight coats and try to match what looks like an oval sponge off finish on the few walls in my house not wall-papered

--Troweling a light coat on and use a texturizing roller I got at my local lumbar company.

Ideas? Suggestions?


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Oops, not my local *lumbar *company, it's my local lumber company :laughing: 


ps the project i just competed was simple, just painting my guest bedroom. 

I used some more of my famous upside down molding about 3" below the ceiling. Painted the molding and that strip the same color. Looks wonderful and my joints and miters were 100% better than the ones in the bathroom. :thumbsup:


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

Shapeshifter,

Would you do me a favor and start a new thread for this one?


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## jimmyg (Mar 14, 2007)

*totall novice looking for advice...*

I'm looking into re-surfacing the drywall in my bedroom. Currently it has a really old plaster surface; where do I start? what tools are necessary?


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

Jimmy,

Can I also ask that you start a new thread for your project?

I appreicate it, the mods appreciate it and the Site Admin. appreciates it.


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## FastEddy155ma (Aug 13, 2007)

*Nailfun - Drywall Master!*

Nailfun.. Tremendous knowledge.. Thank you very much for sharing that insight. My lady & I just picked up a great project in Newburyport, MA. We too have managed to remove all the wallpaper. Additionally, my fiance with this being our first house has sort of jumped the gun and has applied latex primer white over the previos/orignal owners hideous colors. Will this resurfacing technique work over latex primer? I assume it will having done a modest amount of drywall work elsewhere. I'm just not familiar with this advanced technique. Looking forward to hitting the store for the sprayer as recommended in your previous string.

Thx!
-John


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## Vicky Maceranka (Nov 8, 2008)

*Resurfacing drywall*

I just finished skimcoating a previously wallpapered drywall and now I notice that in some areas the surface of the drywall in bubbly. Any recommendations?


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

Vicky Maceranka said:


> I just finished skimcoating a previously wallpapered drywall and now I notice that in some areas the surface of the drywall in bubbly. Any recommendations?



First, you should move this to a new message...it'll get buried here.

You skim coated over the top of wall paper? You just did one of the hand full of things at least in my book that shouldn't EVER be done. It's difficult as you have found, to know when the wallpaper has a good bond to the drywall. The bubbly parts are those areas with poor adhesion, short of removing them and/or the wall paper, it'll be tough to fix.

Why were you skim coating the wall paper?


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