Frame Out - Tear Out - Cover Up ????? - DIY Chatroom

Scotsman · 11-04-2009, 02:53 PM

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ok this MAY be a little long, sorry! I purchased my grandmothers house, (row house in Philadelphia) Must have 6 - 9 layers of crumbling dried out painted over wallpaper over 80 year old (at least) lathe and plaster. I am not VERY interested in trying to remove that wallpaper. My options THAT I can think of is removing the wallpaper for the next 10 years, sheetrock directly overtop of the wallpaper (1/4" or 3/8"), stud out a new wall directly overtop of the existing wall of 2 x 3's, then finish with a smooth straight wall covered in 1/2" or tear out the plaster and lathe down to the studs and start from scratch. (that would be right before peeling wallpaper for 10 years. I am NOT a master of sheetrock finishing but would be close enough for government work!! lol

Can you guys give me the goods and bads of these option? Suggest something I haven't even thought of?

Thank You for All your help in advance!

**Scuba_Dave** · 11-04-2009, 03:10 PM

I'd rip it down to the studs, upgrade any electrical needed, then insulate & sheetrock
Think about any windows that might need to be replaced before doing all the finish work

Meetre · 11-04-2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba_Dave

I'd rip it down to the studs, upgrade any electrical needed, then insulate & sheetrock
Think about any windows that might need to be replaced before doing all the finish work

Get it down to the studs, add insulation-you'll love the lower heating and cooling bills, cover with dry-wall.

pyper · 11-04-2009, 03:31 PM

Stripping wall paper isn't that hard (and it's nearly free). Take it off and see what you have under it before making any decisions.

Maintenance 6 · 11-05-2009, 08:24 AM

I'm with Dave. Most times you'll get a much better job just starting over. Initially, it seem like more work, but in the long term, it's just as easy to start from square one and know what you have. Adding a stud wall will leave you with less square footage, and be as much work as tearout. Adding drywall over the old walls is do-able, but will not allow easy rewiring, or insulation upgrades which you probably need anyway. Plus, there's a lot to be said for the personal satisfaction of having done the job right.

Scotsman · 11-05-2009, 09:03 AM

My concern is that I get the lathe and plaster off and then then the stud are even/level. If I am correct that was part of the draw of plaster, you could build it up in one spot and lower in another if needed? Correct? But then again, if the studs arent spaced properly or of odd sizes etc Then I would know what I was working with instead of playing Blind Man's bluff! I am thinking that gutting is the way to go! Thank YOU for making ME THINK it out! Now what are some of the pitfalls I could run into??? Also is it possible to do this one wall at a time? Gut to sheetrock sand and primer then move onto the next wall? I know the materials are cheap/very affordable, but times are tough around here, and with Christmas coming, etc etc. THANKS for all your input! ALL SUGGESTIONS are Welcome and Appreciated!

pyper · 11-06-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scotsman

My concern is that I get the lathe and plaster off and then then the stud are even/level.

In my house the studs aren't square, plumb, or regularly spaced.

My solution, after demolition, was to put new studs on 16" centers, just inside the old wall (about a quarter inch on the one end of the room and a bit further out on the other, since the room bowed in at the center.)

Run two lines 1.5" out and use a scrap of 2x to show you where to put the studs (top and bottom). Check each one for plumb and use a level across each group of three to make sure they're in the same plane. You can fill low spots in the studs with scraps of 1/8" paneling and/or self adhesive tile. In the rare instances where the existing studs coincicde with the 16" oc you have to either trim them back or shim them out to fit.

You'll want to do an entire room at once. First, it makes a terrible mess, and second, you'll want to run wires from wall to wall or up into the ceiling and you can't do that until it's all open. Also, the corners are important, and you'll want to frame both planes as a unit. Mudding and taping is a mess, and you'll want to do it just once in each room, not 5 times...

Loads of work, but it can be worth it.

The deciding factor for me would probably be the wiring.

Scotsman · 11-10-2009, 01:12 PM

Ok guys, I have determined (through YOUR HELP) that the BEST way to redo my living room and dining room walls is to gut to the studs! BUT! Not sure my skills are ready for that? Nor that I am ready for that mess. Is it really that difficult or will it really look that bad to sheetrock over top of the plaster?

Thanks

**Scuba_Dave** · 11-10-2009, 01:25 PM

The gutting part is just demo...yeah dusty & can be a mess
But its the right way to do things
Upgrading electric & insulation will pay back in the long run
Your finish work will be just finishing the drywall

Usually it will look weird with another layer of drywall - especially with the trim
My back bedroom prior Owner (PO) put thin drywall over the old plaster
I can tell, doesn't look that bad but I can't retrofit old electric work boxes with all the layers
So once my son moves to his new bedroom I will gut the outside walls, redo electric & new insulation

Maintenance 6 · 11-10-2009, 04:19 PM

It can be done. You just need to be aware that you need to plan on redoing all of the trim (baseboards, casing, etc.) Extend your window and door jambs, if any, for the added wall thickness. Extend all of the effected electrical boxes. If you have any heating components along these walls, you may need to work around these, especially baseboard hot water heat. You will still need to cut, install and finish the new drywall. Clean up and paint. All of the above will need to be done whether you tear out or just go over the old plaster. You will save the tear out. At the end of the project you will not have new insulation or new electrical wiring. You will not have the opportunity to easily add more receptacles and will have completed a large part of the same work required to go the full route. At some point in the future, you (or someone) will have even more tear out to do. Whatever you decide, we will try to help you with advice.