I Googled and searched forums for ages, and still didn’t have all the answers for completing the task that awaited me. I purchased a manufactured home recently, but almost didn’t, mainly because of those ugly seams they run up and down the walls of the home.
Still, I understood this to be part of the reason that manufactured homes are so cheap. It makes sense: If all you have to do is staple seams over gaps in the sheetrock, then your labor costs will be drastically lower. It is also highly probable that the walls will look like garbage (No offense to those who own trailers, but c’mon, the walls don’t nearly compare to a stick built home).
Regardless of the situation, you will be the beneficiary of my vast experience in actually doing the work, on some 3-7 odd rooms. I really wish that this method allowed pictures, but hey, nothing’s perfect.
First, you need to rip off the seams. I recommend a spackling knife for this endeavor. Insert the spackling knife into the joint, then use the handle as a pry bar, and pull it out towards you. This will loosen the hold that the nails have on the seam. Repeat until nearly half of the seam has been dislodged. After this, you should be able to pull the rest of it off. Pull the seam from bottom to top, and watch out for any nails still lodged in the seam. I recommend immediate disposal of the offending material.
Great. Now you should be looking at two sheets of trailer board. I would call it sheetrock, but it technically is nothing of the sort. It is less thick, and also has vinyl applied to the surface. The nail heads/staples will still be visible, so you will need to pound them down into the board, using a hammer. Run the spackling knife over the area, to make sure that the nails will not catch it, and keep it from doing its work.
Now, you should be staring at a gap roughly 1/8th – 1/4 of an inch in width. There are two options that you can take in addressing this gap:
1. You can go with the traditional method of laying down sheetrock mud, paper tape, and then another layer of mud, or…
2. You can get vinyl mesh tape, and use it to span the gap. Afterwards, you can spread vinyl spackling compound over the tape to finish the seam.
For the greatest simplicity, we will be using the vinyl tape method here. This stuff comes 300 feet to a roll at your local home improvement store, and will most likely be available in the paint aisle of your home improvement store. It will be yellow, and layed out in grid. It’s basically yellow tape with a large grid of squares in it. The folks at your home improvement store will know what to give you, should you not have an understanding of what I am talking about.
Once you have the tape, run it it from the top of the seam, all the way to the bottom, making sure there is around 50% of the tape on either side of the seam. Then, load up a spackling/putty knife with good amount of vinyl spackle. The next step will take a bit of practice. Using steady pressure, run the putty knife from the top, to the bottom of the seam. Make sure the spackle is thin enough that you can still see the yellow color of the tape, and thick enough to fill in the grids and the seams. It may take up to three passes of the knife to get it to this thickness. Just be patient.
If you have a deep gap, that is larger than 1/4 of an inch, fill the gap with spackle, then place vinyl tape over that, with another layer of spackle following. This is highly necessary to prevent bubbling of the spackle, and to keep a sinkhole from developing in the spackle.
Now, let the compound dry, according to the directions on the spackle bucket. Yes, you need a spackle *bucket*, not one of those wimpy 8 oz. containers. Otherwise, you will need to make runs to Home Depot more frequently than you expected.
When things are fully dry, start your sanding. I recommend starting with 120 grit sandpaper, and by all means, buy a sanding block. Do not us a power sander for this task, as it will take far too much off the spackle off, and fray the vinyl tape. I know this from experience. Try to make the a gradual transition, leaving just enough dried spackle to cover the gap. The spackle should be smooth to the touch, and not be so heavy that you can distinguish where the wall starts and the seam begins. It takes a little practice to get things right, so take your time.
A note about corners: If you attempt a confrontation of the corners where the boards meet, you will need 2 specialized tools. People who deal with sheetrock on a regular basis have an “inner” and “outer” corner tool, to help them deal with the problems that they provide. They’re basically right angles on a handle. If my experience is indicative of what yours will be, these tools will be located near the sheetrock and lumber, rather than the paint/spackle/mudding area. These tools will be more than worth the $8 USD you’ll spend to acquire them. Same rules apply for the corners as the straight seams.
After you get done, apply 2 coats or so of primer to the wall to seal things up. After the first coat dries, check for any place where you can see th grid pattern of the tape. Apply a thin coat of spackle in the tiny holes, let it dry for an hour or so, and then apply the second coat of primer. For what it is worth, I prefer Bullseye 1-2-3 to Kilz, as it seems to cover better. Bullseye is more expensive, but you can occasionally get by with a single coat. Kilz is far more watery, and applies white, rather than Bullseye, which applies grayish.
A word about wallpaper: Resist the urge to strip the wallpaper from your manufactured home. Your wallpaper and wallboard were put together in one piece. Should you attempt to strip the wallpaper off, you may well take half your wallboard off with it. No amount of spackle will save you at that point. Prime it, and leave it alone. It will take the paint perfectly, and you won’t have to pay a professional to come in and fix your horrible mistake.
Put on your favorite color of paint, and then dare your friends to say you live in a trailer. They’ll still say it, but you won’t care, as the improvement will be so drastic. I have spent less than $150 on supplies for the spackling of my entire house(excluding paint) and the difference is incredible.
As a closing thought, please hear my plea. Do not cheap out the paint. Buy Benjamin Moore. It’s pricey, but it covers extraordinarily well, and lasts a long time. I’ve talked to painters, read their comments on forums and discussion boards, and checked things out for myself. Don’t buy paint from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Get it direct from Ben Moore, and you will be happy for many years to come.
Now, get ready, it’s more work than you think, but also more rewarding. I wish you nothing but success, and if you fail…well, I’ll have to assume you didn’t read the directions well enough…;).
Good luck.
Watch the video related to home improvement store
From the Samsung Store inside the Eastwood Mall we went out to check the other stores and also to find a good place to eat. Along the way, we stopped by the “tiangge” area, or the several small clothing store outlet in the center plaza on the other half of the Eastwood community. =) Quezon City, Philippines May 22, 2009
I would first "etch" the metal using trisodium phosphate and water. Then prime the metal after it has dried. Use a paint sprayer that has an adjustable nozzle to be able to paint close to windows and doors. Finish around trim and doors and windows with a brush.
TRY THIS! Paint the walls with a primer like KILZ. Then buy a 5 gallon bucket of joint compound – it's already premixed. Use a trowel and put it on the walls in a random pattern – don't make it too thick or it will crack when it dries. You can do different patterns, or make it look like adobe or stucco – using what's called a skip trowel technique. When it dries – takes 2-3 days depending on the humidity – note: it turns from a gray to white when dry – simply paint with your favorite color. This is a wonderful technique and adds a Tuscan feel to any room. Terrific for covering wallpapered walls that JUST won't come off! Let me know what you think.
Most paints will cover 200 to 250 sq. ft. then again it all depends on the material painted and the coverage. So, with this in mind about 3.35 gallons should do it.
You might get by with 6 gal. but I'm gonna say 7 just to make sure AND this is "per coat". A lot is going to depend on the the quality of the paint you purchase, the condition and texture of the surface that you are painting and if one coat will cover it. If you purchase a decent quality paint and the surface is in fair condition and you are not doing a drastic color change then you should get by with one coat. Good Luck
Painting: If you are planning to paing the paneling in the mobile home make sure that you put a coat of Kilz on it first before painting it. This will prevent flaking and peeling of the paint. This is especially recommended in the kitchen areas where it is more likely that the walls may have a fine coat of grease on them.
Flooring: Kitchen and bathroom floors are normally lenoleum. If you are going to replace it certainly take up the old. Putting new lenoleum on top of old will make it too soft and it will cut, dent, and crease easily.
Exterior: Power wash the outside before painting. Make sure that you check what the exterior of your mobile home is made of. Sometimes manufacturers use plastic siding like materials and sometimes they are metal. Use the correct kind of paint for the material if you are planning to paint it.
Bathroom ceiling: Wash it well and coat with Kilz before painting.
You must first test the wallpaper to see if it is going to adhere to the wall once it is wet. If it does, then it is safe to texture and paint over the wallpaper. It was actually recommended to me by my painter, as he said removal of wallpaper all too often goes beyond just the paper and adhesive. It can sometimes peel off the layers of drywall. Not good!
Texturing is a job best left to the professionals. I am pretty handy and can do a variety of small jobs, but it is a big undertaking and you will thank yourself later for not putting yourself through that and letting a pro do it from the beginning.
I have done it, I used Kiltz first,then painted. My wife foe painted with a sea sponge for a pattern with a little darker paint it looked real good the lines were not as obvious.
Shop at yard sales, thrift stores, auctions for items. I don't know how to revive old carpet; but you could buy area rugs and use them to disguise the carpet. Shop for these at yard sales and then shampoo them. You don't want to have a color like the carpet. Pick a contrasting color. Why not tackle a room at a time. Go to walmart and get fabric on clearance. You can get some great deals. Go with blinds and toppers; much cheaper to make then full lenght curtains. Use what is left and make pillows. Throw pillows are great accents and make a room pop. Don't be afraid of color, but I would go with light colors; yellows, greens, (inviting) (red accents make yellow rooms pop!!!)
Decorate with fresh paint. Pick 2 or 3 nice colors and go for it. I decorate with old books stacked. I sit candle holders, knick knacks etc on them. Use lots of pic frames…don't clutter up with them. Cute vases, bird cages, flower arrangements; so much you can do. Don't be afraid. Go for it. Check out hgtv. I have so many neat ideas. Email me more info about the rooms and I will give you more ideas. kellistines@yahoo.com
Most paint cans tell you how much coverage you get out of a gallon.