Paint Wallpaper Using Gardz
Painting wallpaper is not a good idea. You should first try to remove it, using warm water, a chemical such as DIF, or a steamer. If the wallpaper absolutely will not come down, then you can paint it following the steps.
Steps
- Remove any loose wallpaper.
- Paint the paper with a glue-based (resin) product called Gardz. This is a clear thin water-based product that acts as a glue. If Gardz is not used, and you paint directly over the wallpaper, there is a chance that the water-based paint will cause the paper to bubble and separate from the wall, causing obvious problems. Gardz can be purchased at most paint stores, and home centers such as Menards and Home Depot.
- Once, the Gardz is completely dry (at least three to four hours), use sheet rock mud (joint compound) to mud the edges of the seams so they will not show.
- Sand the mud (joint compound) to recreate a smooth surface.
- Once the Gardz is applied, and the seams have been mudded with joint compound and sanded, paint can be applied with the guarantee that the wallpaper behind is secured for many years to come.
- Paint the wall using any good quality paint.
Tips
- Water down the joint compound just a little and stir it well before applying, and it will go on much smoother, and will be easier to sand.
- Be sure to apply a quality primer over the skim coat of joint compound before applying the topcoat of paint.
- Apply the Gardz with a roller and brush just as you would paint. It is very thin and should be applied VERY liberally. Don't worry about it dripping onto baseboards, etc. It can be easily wiped off with a rag before it dries.
- Do not shake the can of gardz. It will cause bubbles that won't pop. These bubbles will leave a weird texture when you apply the product and leave it to dry. Always stir!
Warnings
- Make sure ALL loose wallpaper is scraped off as the first step, and then sanded around the edges. I think that a sanding sponge works better in corners, etc. than sandpaper, but both will work.
Things You'll Need
- Sandpaper or sanding sponge
- Joint compound
- Mud pan for joint compound
- Putty knife
- Roller setup (frame,nap,pan)
- Gardz
- Paintbrush
- Paint
