askjake

Priming a temporary fix

Question from Tanya: 

Can using a primer help if the person before did not use a primer on sheet rock? I am trying to do a temporary fix to our kitchen until we can afford to remodel the entire space with new drywall, the works. Can you help me?

Jake's Answer: 

Tanya,

If it is new drywall that you are painting, I would use a primer, even though it wasn’t used originally.  You should come out with a better finish. 

Sharp walls

Question from Tammy: Whoever owned our home before us textered the walls in our downstairs bedrooms. The problem is they didn't smooth them down so it is sharp, if you happen to scrape against them, plus they really collect the dust and are impossible to clean. What are my best options? Sand down and repaint? Is there any other easier way to get rid of it? 

Jake's Answer: Tammy, There are a few different things you can try. Take a 6” wide putty knife and start scraping the wall to “knock” down the sharp points. You could even do a little sanding on the walls after you have scraped it. You will still have textured walls but hopefully they won’t hurt when you brush up against them. When done with this, paint the walls with a good quality egg-shell finish latex paint. Scrape the walls, then apply 3 coats of drywall compound, then sand. This is more work and may even require more coats of the compound, depending upon how thick the old texture is. Scrape the walls, then install 3/8” drywall over the walls. You will have to remove and reset the window, door and base trim to accomplish this and you will have to extend the jambs on the windows and doors. Again, this is more work and may require a professional to achieve satisfactory results. Remove the trim and existing textured drywall and install new 1/2" drywall.

Interior finishing for a four-season porch

Question from Carole: 

What is the best interior finish for a 4 season porch. I have been told that drywall should be avoided. I live in Michigan. 

Jake's answer: 

Carole, 

By a 4 season porch I assume you must be referring to a porch that is opened to the elements. If the porch is not opened to the elements, drywall would work fine. If opened, I suggest a fiber cement product manufactured by James Hardie. You can get lots of information on it at JamesHardie.com These panels come in various sizes and textures. It is a very durable, it is paintable and it even comes in pre-finished panels.

Removing, while keeping, a window

Question from Marie: 

Hi Jake, 

We are planning to install built in cabinetry in our dining room. In order to do this we will be sacrificing a large 40"x60" window. We would like to panel over the window so you do not see it from the interior, but still see the window from the exterior so that the exterior wall still looks balanced. What can we cover the window with so that the paneling isn't seen from the exterior? I assume we cannot just leave the pleated, honeycomb shade between the new wall of cabinets and the window. What would you suggest? Thanks  

Jake's answer: 

Marie, 

We have covered windows in the manner you are suggesting. We took a pre-finished white board, like melamine (MyWhiteboards.com). On the interior side, you might have to install some cross braces behind the melamine board so the board does not warp. From the exterior, it looks like a shade is drawn. On the interior, remove the window trim and if necessary, install drywall flush with the window jamb. Then install drywall tape at the joints, tape, fill and sand. The down side of doing it this way is if the melamine board, because of heat or moisture, might not perform. If you are in a direct sun exposure, I don’t suggest you do this. Another option is to remove the window, install new siding on the exterior, install window trim as if there is window, then install shutters in between the trim so it looks as if there is a covered window behind the shutters. This will provide the relief you are looking for on the exterior.

Repair after removing wallpaper

Question from Krissi: When I removed my wallpaper, in some places it took the paper right off the wallboard(sheetrock). Do I have to mud that or just sand it down before I paint? Any suggestions would be helpful. 

Jake’s Answer: Krissi, This is a pretty typical occurrence when removing wall paper from drywall, especially if the walls were not sealed prior to the paper being installed. The best remedy is to use a product like Kilz, www.kilz.com, a fast drying sealer. Follow the instructions on the can. After the Kilz has dried, apply a drywall compound over the ruff areas and let this dry. It may take two to three coats of the drywall compound to get the walls smooth enough to paint. Sand the drywall and apply a sealer over the walls and then you will be ready to apply your finish coat of paint.

Log siding on the interior side of the house

Question:  We have a new addition and want to log side the inside. Do we have to drywall first or can we put the log siding up after the insulation and moisture wrap?

Jake's answer:  You can put the log siding directly to the studs, drywall is not required or necessary. 

Drywall - old to new

Question:  We are remodeling our bathroom. We have a buit in that sits in the corner of the room and we have torn out the old paster right up to it. How do we now fill in the gap where the new dry wall meets the original built in? there is at least a 1/4 in gap. I don\'t want to put in a piece of outside cove trim...which is what the hubby suggests. I want it to look as it always has. thank you

Jake's Answer:  I would suggest you use drywall tape and "flat tape" from the new drywall up against the original built-in.  The tape will help to minimize the chances of the attachment from cracking.  You might want to caulk the joint as well to reduce the chances of a crack appearing.  Another thing you could try would be to use an outside corner bead on the end of the drywall where it butts up to the built-in, then apply the drywall compound - caulk the the bead to the built-in. 

Paneling on the walls.

I have ash tongue and groove paneling on one side of my family room. I need some options to cover or make this surface look like smooth wall. I am concerned because the paneling swells and contracts during the dry/wet seasons.

I had the same paneling in my home that we purchased in 1986.  The house was built in 1978.  The ash paneling was very popular in the 70's and 80's.  My wife and I really never cared for the dark paneling but I wasn't certain what to do with it.  I left town one weekend for a boy's trip and when I returned my wife had ripped out all of the paneling to the studs.  That pretty much determined what we were going to do with the paneling.  Needless to say I was a little miffed by her actions.  However, that was over 15 years ago that she did it, we're still together and I am very pleased with the smooth drywall we installed.  I have seen this paneling caulked and painted.  I have seen it wall papered over and I have seen it drywalled over.  To me, the best solution is do as my wife did, rip it out, add any electrical you might need and land up with a nice new smooth wall. 

Crumbly plaster walls

Jake

we have a plaster wall in a small bathroom that is crumbling. Does the whole thing have to be chipped away or can we just cover it with something?  Marilyn

Marilyn,

Remember that old adage, "Your finished surface is only as good as the surface you apply it to".  If your existing walls are crumbly, you must remove the loose plaster and then you can fill in the voids with a patching plaster or a drywall compound.  Use the drywall compound if the depth of the voids to not exceed 1/4".  If the finish walls are still a little ruff, you could consider applying a texture paint of some sort.  You can purchase this at most paint stores.  Good luck.

Mobile home remodel

Jake

I am remodeling a mobile home and the walls are thin sheetrock with an outer layer of paneling veneer. The previous owner had ragged texture here and there and painted semi-gloss over it. We want to texture over this and have some questions. Can we just skim coat and texture it? Will the texture hold to it? Also, do you have any other ideas to keep from putting new sheetrock up? Thanks, Eric

Eric,

Unless you are really good at drywall work I would forget the idea of skim coating.  Since you have drywall with some nasty old ragged texture along wtih some nasty old paint I don't think you will ever get it right.  It's time to suck it up and either remove the existing drywall or cover over the existing drywall with new drywall.  You will be much happier in the long run. Good luck and good remodeling.

Jake