I had a fire in my home, the fire was located upstairs of my home the water drain downstairs and my walls and floors got very wet downstairs. A contractor came and used a machine to dry out the house. I think the walls dried fine, they are not buckling. Is it wise to keep the wall or get new drywall? If it is ok to keep the wall can I paint over the wall paper?
2006-12-13 07:29:41 · 12 answers · asked by unity 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
You can paint over wallpaper with a couple of coats but I would strip it to get a really nice finish as the seams in the wallpaper will probably show.
2006-12-13 07:32:37 · answer #1 · answered by Mary Smith 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whoa!! wait a minute!!! I used to build houses and honestly, I would replace the drywall. When drywall gets soaked then dries up, it usually has an awful odor, and you didn't mention anything about an odor, so chances are, its not completely dry. Once dried it can be unhealthy to inhale, so your health should be more importantly considered. Another thing, the insulation behind the drywall probably was soaked as well, so it could of lost its form and shape. You won't get the same insulation in that area. So in your summers it will be hotter and winters will be colder, in your house.
First thing you should do though it peel your wall-paper off. Then check the wall, if some areas lost the original texture of the wall, those areas will be most damp. Cut those areas of the drywall, then check the insulation behind where you made cuts. If the insulation is wet, replace that and all the drywall
2006-12-13 08:04:30 · answer #2 · answered by Z 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The outside of the walls may have dried just fine, but you can be sure that sooner or later, mold will come out through the drywall. Water damage is really bad because you can be breathing in mold spores for some time before you get really sick. I would replace the wall. If you don't and you want to paint over it, you can but you will have to use an oil-based primer on the wallpaper first and then you can use any latex paint you want.
Good luck... and remember, if you start getting sick (headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc.) you're looking at the effects of mold after water damage.
2006-12-15 05:25:27 · answer #3 · answered by The ReDesign Diva 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would get new walls...for the reaosn being that because of the dampness it may end up with mold IN the walls which obviously is a health hazzard...however if u find out keeping the walls is okay, i would peal the wallpaprer off...use tea-tree oil and water it comes off like nothing,painting over wall paper can eventually lead the paint to peal as soon as the wallpaper starts to lift..than it was not only a waste of $, but time as well!
sry to hear about the fire...hope everyone was okay..best wishes to you in the future..MERRY CHRISTMAS!
2006-12-13 08:02:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, a painter painted over wallpaper in our home. The only problem we had was that a couple of the seams in the wallpaper opened up and separated. We lightly glued them back in place. I think the type of wallpaper, how well it is glued, how long it's been up there, and the type paint you want to use will influence how well your project turns out. Good luck.
2006-12-13 07:47:56 · answer #5 · answered by Nana S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if the drywall is in good repair, strip the wallpaper and keep the wall. if the wallpaper is still in good shape, you can seal it with Kilz sealer or white shelac (Kilz is used on fire and smoke jobs, it seals in all the water stains and smoke tannin, and all the odour)
then scrape any blisters that show after sealing it, then use drywall compound to patch the blister spots you removed and re-sealed, and skim down every seam with the drywall compound, when it drys sand and prime the whole works again, with shelac or kilz, now you are ready to paint...apply two coats of the paint of your choice. and voila, yer done.
2006-12-13 11:50:16 · answer #6 · answered by captsnuf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is amazing how much better paper looks over a lined wall. Do it. It will take no time and you'll find the finish paper goes on better too.
2016-05-23 20:03:35 · answer #7 · answered by Rosemary 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We painted over wallpaper that wasn't buckled either. The wallpaper started to buckel after we got done painting. We ended up striping the wallpaper & painting again.
2006-12-13 07:36:20 · answer #8 · answered by jennifer c 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Painted over wallpaper looks bad.
Get the wall checked out as well, it may get spongy later on.
2006-12-13 07:36:32 · answer #9 · answered by Jerry J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course u can paint over the wallpaper.
2006-12-13 07:37:00 · answer #10 · answered by LaLa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋