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I’m working on some renovations in my kitchen and there is some serious drywall damage beside where the old cabinet was.

I am wanting to permanently remove the cabinet and want to fix the wall to be smooth for painting. I have been reading a lot online and see that most people recommended applying an oil sealant and mudding where torn drywall is. I guess my mind is mentally struggling with the fact that there are three levels of surface here:

  1. Painted wall
  2. Exposed drywall
  3. Damaged drywall

In simplest terms, how can I get a smooth wall to prepare for repainting?

Full work area Damaged drywall paper up close

isherwood
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bboan
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2 Answers2

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If you do not want to replace the drywall (which is what I recommend) then you can seal the paper and damage using Gardz (no affiliation I just think it's a uniquely suitable product) then potentially sand, skim coat, and prime (or apply Gardz again).

Matthew
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Sometimes when the damage is as bad as some areas showing your pictures I have resorted to removing large sections of the damaged areas completely back to the studs and then fitting in new replacement drywall. If you do this it can be possible to not even have to cut back to the center of a stud. Instead you can add backing in the form of flat lengths of wood that are positioned along the edges of the existing drywall and the replacement drywall and screwed into place.

Michael Karas
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