Need Ideas for imperfect walls

[drgnfly30]

The previous owner of our house LOVED wallpaper... in the process of removing it from our bedroom the "drywall paper" (sorry don't know the technical term) peeled off in some spots... I've tried patching the spots with spackle but it still looks bad... I was just considering some sort of faux painting to hide the imperfections... or I've heard of having a skim coat done but I already know that I am not cut out for any drywalling!! how much would it cost to have it done professionally?

Any other ideas or alternatives??

Christine

 

[doxdogy]

I am no means an expert in home repair. I have patched drywall and when the spackling dries you need to sand it done with a fine screen mesh. Lowe's or Home Depot personnel should be able show you the screen that you need. Hopefully, Froggy will see this post and tell you what you need to do to fix the problem.

 

[RobinMarie]

How about a venetian plaster look using joint compound applied any which way to the walls? It's what I am doing to the plaster walls I found when I took down the paneling.

 

[laurajetter]

There are many faux finishes you could do that I think would help to cover up the imperfections. I know Home Depot has classes from time to time demonstrating different finishes and how you achieve them, but there is one particular product that came to mind; it's a roller that is divided into 2 sections, each to be rolled into a different color paint (usually the colors are similar, but one is darker and one is lighter). You then roll the paint onto the wall in a random motion, and the two colors automatically blend just the right amount with each other, so you don't have to master some fancy faux finish technique. You can buy the roller by itself or you can get it in a kit of sorts which has instructions on how to use it. Here is a picture of that type of product from Home Depot's website:

Maybe that is something that would work for you. I would think you should make the 2 shades of color pretty distinct from each other (not too subtle of a difference) in order to help hide the wall imperfections.

-Laura

 

[drgnfly30]

this was several years ago & when we spackled we were unaware that you had to seal the exposed paper... We since just painted over the mess, suffice to say tt's well beyond spackling at this point...

If I do a faux finish I definately don't want something that is TOO textured.. I don't want to stuck with a finish forever or be faced with re-drywalling the whole room down the road

I also want something EASY to do...

Christine

 

[grlpwrd]

So the spackling job was done a while back? ... You could re-do the spackling, sand (this is a very important step) and wipe with a dust cloth, and then paint Kilz it over and then a primer to "even it all out" before repainting.

Or yes, use faux painting.

Or textured paint.

Or stucco or use a special trowel for regular drywall compound for a different wall texture or try wainscoting.

All except installing wainscoting is much cheaper and easier than re-installing drywall.

GL!

BTW were you careful or did you use the correct and efficient tools removing the wallpaper? I think that might make a difference in the future and the technique you used, of course.

 

[drgnfly30]

Yes we were careful.. we used a wallpaper steamer... I don't think the walls were primed enough when they applied the wallpaper (just a coat of the cheap contractors flat white is my guess...) Another hint that they either overpaid a contractor to put the paper up or didn't know what the heck they were doing... In my office a border was applied directly to the painted wall with vinyl to vinyl adhesive!! That was fun!

Christine

 

[mrsv98]

This was exactly what happened to us. Our house is about 30 years old and I don't think the previous owners prepped the walls at all before they papered. When we pulled off the wallpaper, it ripped the backing off the wall. My solution was to paint a base coat and then rag a glaze/paint mix over the top. I used two shades of yellowy gold and it looks very old-world Tuscon. Eventually we will have to either re-drywall or al the very least skim coat every surface. I have the same problem in DD's room and we tried to put up a wall liner and then paint but it only looks ok not great. Once she wants to repaint I think we will rip out the drywall since it is a small room.

 

[Lisa F]

If you want smooth walls try using lightweight joint compound to skim coat rather than spackle. I've used spackle and I think it's only really good for smaller repairs. For larger areas, drywall compound wins hands down. If you go to home depot the stuff with the blue lid is the lightweight stuff, it's much easier to handle the bucket of it. It comes in a 1 gallon and 5 gallon size. You can just skim coat you entire room when you're done with it and then sand it down with a pole sander. Get a wide drywall knife to apply it and don't go over it too many times... it sands REALLY easily so don't worry about imperfections too much either. You might need 2-3 coats to get a good finish but it really isn't that hard.

 

[dizdelight]

Do wallpaper in a color and pattern that YOU really love. Some can be subtle enough that even folks that insist they hate wallpaper will actually love it. Some just add a bit of nice texture but look like beautifully painted walls. Hey, you can get just textured paper and do your own painting. I've restored 3 Victorian homes and have papered for MANY years. Love wallpaper!

 

[crz4mm2]

Our approximately 80 yo house had many many imperfections when I removed the old wallpaper... I did venetian plaster and am very happy with the result. I had thought it would be very rough, but in fact is pretty smooth when done. I love the look. There was a small learning curve, but only took one wall to get it
I bought the ready made stuff. It was made by Dutch boy.
Good luck. I love mine.

Cathy

 

[FroggyinArk]

ok my turn,,,,



if the paper facing on the sheetrock tore away ,, and left the rough brown paper exposed,,


you will eventually have to replace the sheetrock.

short term, the wallpaper and wainscoating will cover it, the skim coat of mud will work, again short term, breaking the face of the rock will allow moisture to weaken the drywall, i wqould not recommend trying to skim coat if you have no experiance, i've been mudding drywall for years and still hate doing skim coats, i prefer the heavy texture plaster if i have to mud coat, you will never hide a tear by sanding, or by mud coating, sorry. if you like paneling, i would recommend t rying that route.

 

[chrissyk]

Our approximately 80 yo house had many many imperfections when I removed the old wallpaper... I did venetian plaster and am very happy with the result. I had thought it would be very rough, but in fact is pretty smooth when done. I love the look. There was a small learning curve, but only took one wall to get it
I bought the ready made stuff. It was made by Dutch boy.
Good luck. I love mine.

Cathy

What is "Venetian Plaster"? I'm having the same problem as the OP, and I have fewer than 30 days to get the entire house plastered (if needed) and painted. Even if I could afford a contractor, there is a fat chance that I could even get one in this area on such short notice, so I'm on my own with this.

In my case, wallpaper wasn't the culprit. It's just very uneven plaster in a 50-year-old house. How long did it take you do to "Venetian Plaster," and what effect did you achieve? Also, how long does it take to dry before it can be painted, how do you prep the walls to apply the plaster, and how much does it cost to buy this stuff? I feel like I'm going broke at Lowes and Ace these days

 

[crz4mm2]

What is "Venetian Plaster"? I'm having the same problem as the OP, and I have fewer than 30 days to get the entire house plastered (if needed) and painted. Even if I could afford a contractor, there is a fat chance that I could even get one in this area on such short notice, so I'm on my own with this.

In my case, wallpaper wasn't the culprit. It's just very uneven plaster in a 50-year-old house. How long did it take you do to "Venetian Plaster," and what effect did you achieve? Also, how long does it take to dry before it can be painted, how do you prep the walls to apply the plaster, and how much does it cost to buy this stuff? I feel like I'm going broke at Lowes and Ace these days

You still have to "prep" your walls. Fill any holes, repair cracks in the plaster etc. I painted the same color as my venetian plaster was to be. The venetian plaster is a plaster with color in it (ready made- you pick the color- they mix it for you- got mine at Menards). You apply it to the walls with a trowel in an X pattern (directions can be had on the internet or at the home improvement store) allow to dry 4-6 hours and then you go back over the area with the same trowel 'scraping' the plaster. this brings out the light and dark areas. It is really beautiful. Hides a lot of uneven areas (boy did we have a lot of those!). I got mine when it was on sale. I think a gallon of the venetian plaster was around 30 bucks. I bought two gallons and did my whole LR and DR and had some left over. IT says you can use it over textured walls, but in my experience, smoother is better. WE had that sandy texture (thanks to the prior owners) on the upper 1/2 of our walls and I had to sand that down for the venetian plaster to cover without being too thick and cracking (that was the learning curve wall). When I first put it on I thought it didn't look like the picture at all!! And it doesn't until you let it dry and go back over it with the trowel to bring out the light and dark areas. You don't have to paint first, but my walls were so old and hadn't been primed so I wanted good coverage and wanted it the same color as the venetian plaster in case I missed any spots My LR/DR (all one big room) is 26x13 if that gives you an idea of coverage. I can't remember how much it says you can cover with a gallon. You really are supposed to put it on very thin. It will crack if you get it too thick.
It is easy, really. And I LOVE the look. I saw it on Trading Spaces. One of the few things Doug has done that I like
Good luck.

Cathy

 

[chrissyk]

Thanks Cathy! Our walls have a "bumpy" texture to them. I have no clue why...it seems almost like the plaster was sprayed on instead of skim coated. I wonder if Venetian Plaster is still an option for us.

 

[crz4mm2]

Well, I think I know just what you mean about bumpy texture. Ours were little bumps, like sand. And no, it is not ideal for venetian plaster. The walls had to be sanded first in order for the venetian plaster to be able to be put on correctly. How Deep are your 'bumps'?
I would think a light sanding of the bumps would give you a better outcome.

Cathy