Thread: Repair gyprock after removing wallpaper

I have just removed wallpaper from a gyprock wall using a steamer. Along the way some of the gyprock surface has torn off. Is there any particular filler that members recommend. For small jobs in the past I have used a tube of Polyfiller Skim Coat. This job has some large patches that would involve many tubes (this is a hallway). I suspect that I may not have done all the damage myself, and that it was done before this wallpaper went up. Hope someone can help.

I would invest in a bag(10kgs) of base and skim coat over any marks ect.. 2 + coats would be an absolut minimum scrap back in between coats if needed ie and dags or high spots. then use your topping compond of choice in the same manner, folllowed by a light sand. be careful not to over fill with the base/ topping, it may be tempting to put a bit more on, but you will end up with lumps n bumb. in a hallway will always be a hard one as you have long walls ans generall light at one end
I`m sure you`ll be fine, good luck


reagrds

Thanks for the feedback.

You'll probably find that a 20kg bag of base-coat costs only pennies more than a 10kg bag (but then again, 20kg could be a lot more than you'd need), and you don't really have to worry about the top coat. Base is a little bit harder to sand, and it clogs up the paper quicker, but it still gives a good finish with two or three coats (with the final coat being scraped on, very thin and smooth). Just buy a few extra sheets of sandpaper, or sanding mesh. Or you could just use top-coat (it's all purpose) and forget about the base, but it takes much longer to dry between successive coats. Be careful when sanding top-coat though. It's very soft and you can easily sand it all off and end up with a hollow if you're too aggressive. As PlasterPro mentioned, use your broad-knife to scrape off any dags before applying successive coats.

Use a cheap plastic broad-knife to apply, and a cheap hand sander is a good investment (or use a flat block of wood, about 100mm X 300mm, wrap the sandpaper around it and screw it down tight on top. You can screw a smaller block on top for a handle if you want). Don't just use a piece of sandpaper with your hand, or you'll dig depressions in the wall. Use a circular motion over a wide area when sanding, to get the best and flattest result. The handles of the cheap plastic broad-knives sometimes break if you apply too much pressure. They can be easily repaired by screwing two short bits of 2 x 1 together, with the blade in between. You can make a plaster hawk to carry your mortar, out of a piece of plasterboard or plywood with a timber block screwed in the middle for a handle.

When you think you're ready to paint, run your hand back and forth, and up and down over the wall, and you'll be able to sense any bumps or irregularities that don't normally show up before you paint. Mark a circle around the low spots with a pencil so you know where to fill. Don't use a pen because ink will keep bleeding through successive paint layers.

good advise,with an answer like that you could give Rod a run for his money

Thanks for that PlasterPro.

I might just add one more tip for a perfect job if you're fussy;
Before you even start, get a straight edge and check the wall. A 3' level will do. If the studs are bowy, then the whole wall may be wavy, and there may be depressions of 10mm or more in the length of the level. A wall light, or sunlight hitting the wall at the right angle, and you'll notice how bad the wall is when there's paint on it.

Mix up a big batch of base-coat and slop it on the wall really thick, then scrape it off with the edge of the level. Scrape all the excess of the level and run it over the spot a few more times to get it a bit smoother. It will still be very rough, and it may have gouges in the plaster, but don't worry about it too much. The idea is to get the wall flat first, and then get it smooth with the broadknife and more plaster after it's dry.

You could use a lot of base-coat this way, but you'll end up with a much better job.

my advice is leave the plastic tools in the shop. get the real thing.

i may not be around for a few days had a nasty accident with a cordless drill and a long phillips head tip. only one handed and very doped up.

cheers rod

I hope it's not too serious Rod.

ouch, hate workplace accidents sometimes thing we do everyday are the ones we need to watch. hope you make a full recovery,

about 2 months off. went in side ways from thumb to ring finger. everything got twisted arround the bit and contracted the hand into a tight ball. pretty nasty. but lucky damage only to one tendon sleave and one nerve.

yep pro mrs took a pic will post in a thread later when i can get it off her phone lol nothing like the morbid details eh

cheers guys thanks for your thoughts.

Bob,
When you get around to painting the walls,a good quality Flat Acrylic (not low sheen)will help hide a few imperfections also.
Regards,
Blocker

Wow. I never realised that a cordless could do so much damage, but I suppose they are pretty powerful nowadays.
It reminds me of the time I screwed myself to a wall with a cordless. I was fixing plasterboard sheets vertically to a wall, and I was using metal C section studs, just floating (not fixed to the plates). I was holding a stud with my fingers inside the C section, whilst positioning the vertical sheet half way across the stud so the next sheet would have something to grab onto. Anyway, I drove a screw through the plasterboard, through the metal stud, and through my finger which was inside the stud at the time. To make matters worse, I dropped the drill so I couldn't undo the screw because the drill was just out of reach. I had to call a mate to pass me the drill, but fortunatelly it was more of an embarrasment than a serious injury. Makes a good story to tell anyway.

Look at the bright side Rod. You should have plenty of time to spend on the forums whilst your recovering. It looks like you can type OK with one hand.

Errr Rod speedy recovery, sounds horrible..... As far as fixing Gyprock If your labour cost isn't an issue - sure plaster... but its probably cheaper to re-gyprock and you're going to get a better end product if its really bad.

When you blokes knock yourselves around no-one can say you don't do a good job of it!

But if I can get back to the initial question, I am in a similar situation to BobR where the previous owner had the same problem and simply painted over it, and I can assure you it stands out like the dogs balls.

It didn't bother me at the time because I hated the interior colours and always intended to repaint, but its a slow process to now prep for painting.

I hope he spot paints the patches before painting so they cant be seen through the paint