How To Repair Drywall After Removing Waincotting

Stage two of Our Playroom Makeover: Sabotage, Patching, and Painting

I planned to get out the wainscoting solitary. Really I did.

But so, a familiar feeling crept in and my face began to twitch. I blacked out and lost all sense of time and space. Mrs. Hyde walked in with a pry bar and took control of the room. I vaguely remember hearing my husband say, "Mommy is destroying the business firm again!"

When the dust settled, the wainscoting was gone.

I'k pitiful. Well, perhaps a little...not actually. I have big dreams for this room, and they don't include beige walls and xc's wainscoting.

How to remove wainscoting: a quick tutorial. Minimize the damage to your walls following this guide. — The aftermath

At this point, I had iii options going frontwards:

gut the damaged drywall below the chair rail and replace with all new drywall.
cover the walls with wallpaper, beefier wainscoting, or shiplap.
patch the bejeezus out of the walls and pray.

I went with option #3.

I know what you're thinking. "Really Erin? WTF? Can't yous leave things well enough alone?"

Great women of history never get out things well plenty alone. Besides, I can't exist held liable for decisions made when sleep deprived. #refluxbaby

After many hours of scraping, sanding, re-scraping, and painting, I'chiliad tickled with how things turned out. If you're patient and highly motivated to brand your space align with your blueprint vision (i.e. one that does not include wainscoting), you can exercise it besides.

How to remove wainscoting from drywall (with minimal permanent damage!)

Merely first, a note about wainscoting.

In that location are many different types of wainscoting -- besides known as paneling. Information technology tin refer to anything from beadboard panels to more of a board and crossbar look. Regardless of the construction materials, they're typically fabricated to cover the lower half of the room (simply not always!) and sit down below what'southward referred to as a chair track. For example, here's the picture frame molding nosotros added to our former chief bedroom. It was really easy to apply and turned out beautiful!

Follow my simple tutorial for installing Restoration Hardware Inspired wainscoting

Your removal process may exist more than or less complicated based on what materials were used in your habitation to reach the wainscoting expect. Only the general rules should still apply.

I was lucky that our wainscoting didn't have backer board -- paneling used to achieve a polish surface on textured walls. This would have fabricated the chore nearly incommunicable without completely replacing the drywall, since the construction-grade agglutinative applied to backer board causes significant tear out upon removal.

Cardinal to the success of this demo was the absence of backer board. Our walls were already smooth, so the wainscoting was nailed directly to the wall in a picture frame style. The builders used base of operations cap, which is the trim typically used on top of baseboards (every bit the proper name would advise).

Here's what our dining room looked like soon subsequently we moved into our dwelling house in 2022.

How to remove wainscoting from a room without damaging the walls.

In one case I ~~cursed a thousand suns~~ painted the biscuit walls white, I realized how indigestible and outdated the room looked with the wainscoting left intact.

How to remove wainscoting without tearing up your drywall to bits!

Alright, so merely one more point to address here, and then we volition remove your wainscoting in ane fell swoop.

How much does information technology cost to remove wainscoting?

Very little. This process does not involve complicated tools or expensive products. In total, I spent almost $50 on two gallons of pigment (for the trim and walls). I had everything else in my workshop already.

The better question to ask here is, how much spare time do you take? This is not exactly a quick process. I probably spent a solid week doing the demo, patching, sanding, and painting. There'southward a lot of overnight waiting for products to dry. Patience is key.

My #1 Tip for this process: remove as much caulk and agglutinative as you tin can before you begin painting. One time you start painting information technology's harder to hide flaws. Also, it'southward much easier to fill in holes than to endeavour and cover up residual caulk. So scrape, scrape away to your heart's content!

Tools Needed for Wainscoting Removal, i.eastward. Wall Surgery

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hammer
pry bar
utility knife
putty knife
sanding wedges in coarse and medium grits (60 and 120 piece of work well!)
a set of strong easily

Materials

articulation chemical compound
drywall repair tape
primer + paint in a color and sheen of your choosing (I chose semi-gloss for easy cleanup since this is going to be a playroom)
paint brush or roller

That'due south it! Non as well bad really.

The Wainscoting Removal Process

Pace 1: Score Your Trim

Your first footstep is to break the seal betwixt your wall and the wainscoting. Using a utility knife, carefully score the caulked areas where your trim meets the wall.

How to remove wainscoting from drywall (with minimal damage to your walls!). Pin this for later!

Step 2: Gently Pry Away Your Trim

Use your hammer to wedge a pry bar under your trim. Keep tapping until you have some skillful leverage. Begin (carefully!) pulling your trim away from the wall. At this point you may observe areas where the trim is ripping the drywall; you may need to cutting these areas a fleck more with your utility pocketknife.

Continue prying until you've managed to pull off the trim entirely.

Pace 3: Scrape Abroad Lingering Caulk

Scraping away caulk when removing wainscoting

Utilize your putty knife to scrape off any raised portions of caulk still attached to the wall. I recommend using a flashlight so you don't miss any spots (like I did).`

Step iv: Patch Your Walls

Patching your drywall when removing wainscoting.

Now it'southward time to "frost the block," so to speak. Scoop upward a overnice goop of joint compound with your bare hands. Utilize said goop to wall and smear a generous layer all over. Pretend you're re-enacting that sexy pottery scene from Ghost and really let your hands get funky here. Spread out your compound evenly and let it dry overnight.

At times, your enthusiasm from Step 3 may result in some serious drywall damage. Yous may observe a white powdery substance resembling anthrax pouring out of the wall. Don't panic! It's but gypsum powder.

This is when drywall tape saves the day. Snip a very small piece of tape and use to your hole, and so backfill with articulation chemical compound. Sand when dry, utilise more joint chemical compound, and sand once again.

Step v: Sand and Repeat

You volition eat, sleep, sand, and repeat for several days. Embrace information technology.

In one case you've let your showtime layer of joint compound dry overnight, sand intensively until the wall is smooth. Reapply more compound as needed and sand again.

How to patch your drywall after removing wainscoting! — Starting to look improve as the joint chemical compound dried!

Step vi: Paint Your Walls and Rejoice!

Huzzah! You've made it to the finish line. Your walls are polish, patched, and prepare for pigment. A overnice, thick layer of primer followed by at least two coats of semi-gloss paint volition hopefully cover any remaining blemishes.

Hither'south a good closeup shot of 1 corner after the wainscoting was removed and so after its final coat of paint.