Slightly OT -- drywall

Pulling the paneling down should not take up much more than a few hours, you are tearing it down, no precision needed.

One of the main purposes of sheetrock is fire retardation and 1/4" drywall has almost none.

So, then, what advantage does the drywall have over your paneling?

You can wallpaper the paneling. You can texture and paint the paneling (same as drywall). You can even paint the paneling!

The latter would be my choice - perhaps something like milk paint, diluted almost transparent white, to give it a completely old-style look. Thinking on it, I'd probably put a chair rail around the room and paint only the top part. The unpainted part would then resemble wainscotting.

You could cover the paneling with magnetic whiteboard material (got kids?). This would enable you to cut out pictures of chickens and 60's era MG automobiles from various sources and stick them to the walls with tiny magnets.

So many possibilities, so little time.

I would paint over it. TSP, prime, then paint.. quick easy, new look. Nice texture from the beads.

How was the paneling put up, and what's behind it. If glued (probably not), yea PITA.. if nailed, it should come down very easily. Usually number 4 finish nails.

I would not cover over it. Just paint it or tear it down.

Plus, you will be inside the walls to see anything that might need repaired, or to easily take the bow out of a stud or two that is causing a wave along the wall, which will make the drywall job look much better.

SWMBO has been after me for some time to get rid of the dark T&G paneling in the den. I can either rip it down and replace with drywall or I'm thinking I can cover it with 1/4 inch drywall. If the latter, I'd need to rout 1/4 inch recess on the window and door trim.

I'm leaning toward the latter approach as the teardown looks like a PITA.

Any downsides to 1/4 inch sheetrock?

Roll the paneling with pigmented shellac [KILZ or ZINSER], float it like new drywall. Texture and paint, Voila!

Dave in Texas

While painting sounds easy, it is not. You will literally spend hours getting the paint into the little recess in the wood surface. This is a small brush job. Once you think you are done you will have to go over it several more times as more will be reveled once you get away from it.

With ours, that we tried to paint and was never happy with the way it looked, the next time we decided to paint it, it was coming down, and dry wall was going up.

Don't brush or roll, spray! Rent a decent airless sprayer, Tape and mask EVERYTHING you don't want painted, in less than an hour you could spray 3 light coats, and have a beautiful new look.

Yup. I went the paint route on about 60 linear feet of T&G and getting the beadwork covered is just an awful job with a brush. I like the airless sprayer option, but have never worked with one before.

Larry

As soon as I read the magnetic part, I thought "Or maybe a wall of chalkboard paint!" and again....got kids? Grandkids?

Hell, I'm a grammpa and I'd sure like it!!!

I did do something similar to that in my basement shop...painted a couple of cabinet doors with chalkboard paint and I can use it for quick notes and messages to self.

Mike

beadwork covered is just an awful job with a brush. I like the airless sprayer option, but have never worked with one before.

If you know someone that has one, a HVLP will have MUCH less overspray...not to say that there won't BE some, but much less than with an airless.

That said, if you're in the area, I do have an airless that you can use...cheap, too...I lend for beer

well, good beer

Mike

Ping me.

Lew