How can I effectively prepare old wallpaper for painting after sanding didn’t yield desired results?
Asked by Joy Stevens 
4 months ago
Last Updated: July 26, 2024
I took down the old wallpaper but sanding didn’t really help. Any ideas on how to prep it for painting instead?
On your hands and knees with a putty knife
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Maybe consider adding a new layer of texture, I’m not entirely sure but try to make some sense of it.
Using a heat gun and a scraper would definitely work. But honestly, it would be much quicker to just add new thin sheetrock over it and then mud the joints.
That’s exactly why opting for textured walls was not a good decision initially. Dealing with problems on textured surfaces is always more challenging. If it were flat, you could simply scrape and smooth it out. But now, you’ll have to tackle some tough scraping and picking followed by dealing with another unattractive texture.
When you’re repainting, try not to apply a thick coat of paint to cover everything in one go. That’s actually what led to the issue in the first place.
Use steam to loosen the texture and then scrape it off. Consider taking some pain medication before you begin. 😂
Doesn’t it remind you of a map? Maybe instead of painting it as a map with land patches, consider a different decorative painting technique to enhance that unique texture (making it seem like you intentionally created that special effect)
Add 1/4 inch of Sheetrock on top and voilà, you’ve got yourself a brand new surface
At this stage, you are stripping off layers of paint. You have the option to continue until finished or to smooth out the surface by sanding, applying a skim coat, priming, and then painting. It is not necessary to skim coat the entire wall, only the areas with issues.
Use a steamer along with a scraper.
We sprayed a mixture of downy and water on the surface after lightly sanding it, causing the paint to peel off in sheets. Let it sit for around 20 minutes.
That looks like paint. To remove it, scrape the wall dry with a wide putty knife. If there is any paper or adhesive left, wet it down and scrape it off. Let it dry, then sand it with an 80 grit mesh. Skim the whole wall with a thin layer of premixed drywall compound. Once dry, sand it with a 120 grit screen. Skim the whole wall again, and after it dries, fix any imperfections by filling and sanding. Finally, paint the wall with latex primer and apply 2 coats of latex paint. I recommend using latex because it has high hiding capabilities compared to acrylic.
That is definitely paint.