glue removal damaging drwall

[MariaB]

Hello,
I want to paint a wall that had old wallpaper. Because the wallpaper was textured I removed the wallpaper. The paper itself came down very easily, but I now have a lot of glue.

I first tried fabric softener and it did not do anything at all for the removal. I then used DIF.

Well, the DIF did remove the glue, but it is also damaging the drywal. The top layer of the drywall paper is coming off with the glue.

So, can I just sand the glue smooth and apply some type of primer before I paint? I am assuming it would need to be a very thick primer?

Thoughts?

Thank You!

[wallpapers]

No matter what you do you are looking at a situation where the drywall is going to need to be skimmed. Knowing that you can sand the adhesive smooth and prime it. But the best primers are either Draw Tite by Scotch Paint or Gardz by Zinsser.

I don't know what geographic area you are in and that will make a difference in your selection. Draw Tite is a better product, but is tougher to find, especially since it sounds like you are already involved in the project. Gardz is available at most good paint stores.

The advantage of these products is their ability to penetrate and lock down residual adhesive, and also do the same for torn up drywall paper.

Application of the primer is tricky since it's so thin. I have found that a Purdy White Dove 3/8" roller is the best for applying these primers. Load the roller cover and roll from the base up. That controls the puddling that occurs with thin primers. Be sure to apply a full wet coat of the primer. Don't try to stretch it out.

Once the primer dries you can skim, prime and paint as usual.

[MariaB]

Darn, I was hoping to avoid skimming!

I am in Ohio, so I am not sure what is available, but I will look.

I am not sure of order?

After I sand the glue do I skim over the glue and then prime? Or vice versa?

[Boston Hangman]

The only thing I would add to the prior poster's advice is to first try a light misting of wallpaper removing solution ( Fast , Safe and Simple, Doff) and trying to scrape off the heaviest part of the adhesive. If you go gently and slowly you may be able to remove the top layer of adhesive making a better surface with which to start.

I would then sand as previously mentioned and use Gardz or Draw Tite , but I would use two coats to ensure you don't reactivate the adhesive when you topcoat with a good quality acrylic primer such as Ben Moore's Fresh start.:thumbup:

I just read your post we must have been typing at the same time :lol:
sand before you seal with DT or Gardz , then skim with joint compound or similiar, sand and then seal again with Gardz or DrawTite.

Good Luck,
Mark
Boston Chapter

[MariaB]

thanks! The double priming makes sense.

Wish me luck! :)

[MariaB]

I have the same textured wallpaper in another, much larger room. I want to paint. Is the primer/sealer you recommended think enough to go over textured wallpaper so that I will have a smooth surface when I paint?

I would like to avoid the glue fiasco I am facing now....

any other ideas?

[HangingInThere]

What process are you using to remove the wallpaper? Would you describe in detail?

[sinan]

Darn, I was hoping to avoid skimming!

I am in Ohio, so I am not sure what is available, but I will look.

I am not sure of order?

After I sand the glue do I skim over the glue and then prime? Or vice versa?

1. use DIF or vinegar/hotwater solution to clean the glue residue
2. use Enamelac or Bin, (shellac base primers),to prime the surface
3. use joint compaund and plaster of paris mix(3 jc to 1 plaster) to skim
4. now you have a durable hard surface to sand lightly and prime
5. can use an oil base primer,Bin or Roman R-35,OR either oil primer or shellac base and R-35 as the final primer coat;this is the ideal prep work that worked for me for 35 years, good luck.

[cgreene]

I don't paint, except for fixing and priming/sealing walls for wallpaper. But I thought R-35 was a sizing that dries tacky, for hanging wallpaper over. I don't use it on walls at all because when it comes time to remove you will have a big problem and I like to keep wallpapering friendly on and friendly taking off. The only time I would even think of R-35 would be to size existing commercial vinyl when having to hang over existing vinyl. Don't like to hang over vinyl, but sometimes you have to.

[MariaB]

What process are you using to remove the wallpaper? Would you describe in detail?

The textured wallpaper came off easily. There was significant glue on the walls. I wet the walls down using a sponge with the diluted DIF mixture and used a scraper. The glue came off, but so did the first layer of the drywall.

I am now trying to sand the glue. It is not sanding off, but the wall is getting smoother.

[Boston Hangman]

I have the same textured wallpaper in another, much larger room. I want to paint. Is the primer/sealer you recommended think enough to go over textured wallpaper so that I will have a smooth surface when I paint?

I would like to avoid the glue fiasco I am facing now....

any other ideas?

Maria

Are you planning to not take off the textured wallpaper in the larger room?:confused: It should always be a last resort to go over wallpaper as eventually someone is going to need to deal with this.:eek:

But...
If so the Gardz is a thin sealer , it would possibly help to lock down the old wallpaper, so that you could paint over it. However it is not going to eliminate sanding or skimming to smooth out the texture. Primers are not intended to level out heavy texture or imperfections as much as they are intended to provide a sound base coat for finish paints or wallpaper, depending upon the primer you select. The only primer that is /was pretty good for leveling out bad surfaces was a specialty primer from Schrueder(sp) a Dutch company, but I haven't seen their product in any of my local paint stores for years.

You may want to try and power sand the textured paper down smooth and then Gardz , followed by skimming and/or primer.

If you are still dealing with the adhesive/glue perhaps you should Gardz over it as previously suggested then skim, Gardz and prime. The Gardz will seal the torn sheetrock, as well as seal the adhesive/glue down.

Keep up the good work, when it is done you will be glad you did the proper steps for wall prep. :thumbup:

Mark

[HangingInThere]

I'm trying to get a handle on what's actually happening to your walls. Did you need to wet the wallpaper to remove it, or did it come off in full sheets without wetting?

If the wallpaper was able to be removed without a waterborne solution, my hunch was that you've removed a fabric-backed vinyl. To save a buck, these are sometimes installed right onto the bare sheetrock using a strippable adhesive.

If someone is reinstalling wallpaper, and the sheetrock survived the removal process, the residue left on the walls is lightly sanded and new wallpaper (usually a medium to heavy fabric-backed vinyl) is put on top.

The problem with cutting the primer coat out of the process before the initial install, is that if someone would want to paint, removing the adhesive with any type of solution will not only disolve the adhesive, but also the taping mud and potentially damage the drywall's paper facing.

If this is the scenario you are facing, I would present a different approach to a homeowner than I might do myself.

[Bill Archibald]

Let me support the underlaying feeling most have here, remove as much of the paste as possible before priming with Draw-tite or Gardz. I have seen the results of shortcuts being taken when the paste was somewhat sanded and then primed over. You wouldn't want to be faced with the resulting problems that I saw.

Granted Gardz and Draw-tite are excellent products to penetrate and seal down a residue, but think about what happens if you just quickly sand and apply one of these products over a good layer of paste. Being waterborne coatings, either one will partially dissolve the paste, penetrates to the wall, and then dry. What's different between that and tossing dried wallpaper paste into bucket of Gardz, mixing it up, and then applying to a wall ? No one would recommend that.

If the paste can not be carefully removed with a good stripping solution (Safe & Simple is all of ours favorite) misted on so as not to oversoak the drywall and a delicate hand on the stripping blade, then put some 50 grit sand paper in a palm sander and sand as much as you can off. 36 grit will work faster, but I'm afraid it will shred the facing.

I really wish there was an easier way, but you are facing what we all know to be a nightmare. It sounds like some hack hung the wallpaper without preparing the drywall before. And now you get to suffer the consequences.

I really feel for you and wish you luck and fortitude.

[Bill Archibald]

3. use joint compaund and plaster of paris mix(3 jc to 1 plaster) to skim


sinan,

I hate to jump on your first post, but have you seriously been mixing a premix joint compound (drying type) with a setting type of patching material (Plaster of Paris, Durabond, Patching Plaster, etc)?

And if you have been doing so for 35 years, have you NEVER had adhesion problems with coatings applied on top?

The reason I ask is that it's come to our attention that this creates such a high pH that even a top quality acrylic will not tolerate the pH and will not adhere properly.