How Do I Repair Sheet Rock After Wallpaper Removal?
- 1). Lightly sand any rough areas on the sheet rock using 100-grit sandpaper. Sand using a circular motion so that any loose paper will roll up under the sandpaper rather than continue stripping off the wall. Remove any loose pieces of paper.
- 2). Prime the sheet rock with white shellac or with a stain-killing paint. Roll or brush the primer onto the wall and allow it to dry for one to two hours. A fan can help with the drying. Priming prevents bubbles later in the joint compound.
- 3). Using a 10- or 12-inch broad knife, smooth a very thin (1/16-inch or less) coat of drywall joint compound onto the surface of the wall, filling in any low spots in the wall. Try to make the coat as smooth as possible, but do not worry about small edge-ridges created by the edge of the blade of the broad knife. Allow the joint compound to dry. This could take up to four hours. Again, a fan aimed at the wall could speed up drying time.
- 4). Sand the joint compound very lightly with 100-grit sandpaper using a sanding block. This knocks off any ridges or high spots and smooths the wall.
- 5). Apply a second coating of dry wall joint compound. Scrape the compound off with your broad knife, pulling the broad knife across the surface of the wall at a 45-degree angle to the direction you put on the first coat. You are not trying to add any thickness to the dry wall joint compound with this second coat; you are only trying to fill in any low spots.
- 6). Let the second coat of drywall joint compound dry for approximately two hours. Very lightly sand with 150-grit sandpaper using your sanding block, just sanding to get the surface smooth. Wipe the surface down with a tack cloth when you are done.
- 7). Finish the wall by painting it or by applying new wallpaper.
