Painting Walls in a Mobile Home

RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post by Cyinda (474) | (03/16/2008) Profile | Contact For Tanya Stone & others. Here's several places you can order mobile home repair stuff from. Just describe what you need & they'll be glad to help. I live in Washington State so I buy from these guys in Washington State: VJ's Mobile Home Parts & Supply 1 (800) 600-6903 1 (360) 273-6903 But if you Google "Mobile home parts" then add your state like "Mobile Home Parts Florida" for example, you'll get a listing of places close to you. FOR BUYING ONLINE: Magic Mobile Home Parts: http://www.mhparts.com/ OR: MOBILE HOME REPAIR .COM (click on "books & parts" at the top of the page) You can also buy down loadable books with detailed directions for DIY projects about most anything "Mobile Home". http://www.mobilehomerepair.com These guys also have a forum where you can read & ask questions about mobiles, plus a decorating section in the forum area: http://www.mobilehomerepair.com/phpbb/ As far as "TEXTURE" goes, I'm going to do one of the Brow Bag Wall Treatments (there are many) Just Google "brown bag walls", but before you begin the brown bag wall treatment in a mobile home, first tape all the cracks (or lines) in the paneling with WHITE duct tape. I like the brown bag (or paper bag) technique because it covers a multitude of sins (& wall grooves). If you find the pictures here to dark for your decor (like I do) then you can go back over the walls with either a plain paint, a water base stain, or you can do what I'm going to do: Add one part white Acrilyc or Latex paint (I'm using an Ivory color) to 4 or 5 parts Glaze, (this will make a transparent paint that works like a stain) then with a clean rag or large sponge, wipe this mixture onto the walls in a circular motion. When it dries, If it's not the color you like, then go back over it again with another coat. Another option: While it's wet, you can also wipe off the top-most areas, this way the color will only be in the cracks (you'll want to wrinkle-up your paper bags first). Here's several of the many brown bag wall techniques: (there are also more on ThriftyFun) http://www.bozzle.com/bbwBonnyeManning.html http://www.wuvie.net/brownbagwalls2.htm You can also buy one of the many textured wallpapers that are made for painting. They even have one that looks like stucco. They have MANY patterns. The trick is, to pre-duck tape you walls with white duct tape, & buy the Thickest wallpaper you can, so it'll cover those wall grooves in the paneling. Buying a textured wallpaper is the easiest & least messy of the ways you can texture your mobile home's walls. If you do decide to use real plaster or drywall mud, then be sure to only put on VERY thin coats. A little at a time, PLUS, you'll need to rough-up your walls first. The absolute best product to use is Flexall. (it's called something else in the Eastern US). Google " Flexall Joint compound" HERE'S A PICTURE OF FLEXALL: http://building-materials.gillroys. ... pair/DAP_FLEXALL_FILLER-s268720.html http://doitbest.com/Concrete+patch+ ... -model-33011-doitbest-sku-268720.dib Christopher Lowell (the famous Designer) swears by Flexall. It sticks to anything & doesn't shrink like most joint compounds do, plus it's flexible. You can also sand it after it gets hard. But let me forewarn you, if you DO decide to fill in the paneling cracks, be prepared for a very long, hard, VERY mess job!. You'll have plaster dust EVERYWHERE. Buy some plastic for your rug AND to cover ALL your furniture! I myself WAS going to fill in all my trailer's wall-cracks, but decided this was just to big a job! Plaster or Flexall can also be PRE-tinted. OR they can be stained after you've put them up. (For more info post me a note on ThriftyFun, as I'm a Decorative Painter by trade) Also, Reading back to the very beginning of the posts: For nicotine coverage, use a "High adhesive primer" like Zinsser 1-2-3 or Gripper BEFORE you paint, you can tint these (don't use Kills!) otherwise you'll have to put AT LEAST 4 coats of paint on, as the nicotine will continue to bleed through Been there, done that mistake! As far as getting a sheen with Kills or another tinted primer. Paint over the top of the primer with a clear gloss or semi-gloss GLAZE, OR, you can buy "Artists Medium" this is basically clear paint, or paint without the tint. It comes in all sheens, but it's much more costly than glaze. You can also use a clear glossy water base Varathine. Any of these can be tinted with acrylic artist paint. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post By Tanya Stone (Guest Post) (03/15/2008) The plastic strip that hides the space in the paneling. What is it called so I can purchase it? And for the paneling after the stripes are put on. What kind of paint texturing would be good? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post by Cyinda (474) | (03/14/2008) Profile | Contact For Laurel: The thin plastic strips cover the tacks or nails where they put the panels of the mobile home together. You'll need to keep these on the walls & ceiling. Believe me, they wouldn't be there for JUST decoration (these builders are way to cheap for THAT!) the strips are there to HIDE something even more ugly than the plastic molding strips. Sometimes the DIY channel has shows on how a mobile home is made. You can get allot of information from one of these shows. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post by Cyinda (474) | (03/14/2008) Profile | Contact To Glinda: For people with allergies, you could probably use this product it's made to use in Schools, Hospitals & Industrial Kitchens. It has an Alcohol Base & the primer is made from Shellac which is a natural product: Zinsser B-I-N ... Just because Zinsser 123 is safe AFTER it's been up & has dried & aired-out for several days, doesn't mean that it's safe for YOU to paint on yourself! ... Another product that's better than Kills is a latex type primer by Zinsser called Zinser Bullseye 123, or another product that I haven't used but have heard good things about is called: Gripper. * It would be wise for you to have someone else prime for you when the weather warms up a bit & you can open the windows up for several days in a row. Report Spam or Abuse Request: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post by Laurel_admin (251) | (03/14/2008) Contact How do you paint the walls in a mobile home? We are trying to update my boyfriend's mobile home, which is about 10 years old. The walls have these strips of plastic type stuff every 3 feet or so, and I don't know how to get wallpaper out from under those strips or how to paint them and make it look good. Do I have to pull the plastic strips off? And what is the purpose of them, anyway? Abby from Pensacola, FL Answers: RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home The plastic strips you mentioned, are covering for the spaces between the panels. Removing them and spackeling them will give you a smooth surface to make the walls look better. A pro painter also recommends using Binz or Kilz. Thinking of doing the same. Being a smoker, I have washed the walls using window cleaner. It doesn't leave a film like some cleaners do. (11/12/2007) By suem1009 RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home I am an asthmatic, and very sensitive to strong smelling substances like Kilz. Is there something a little more tame on the smell department? I have to just use paint and sand paper, and an open window now in my trailer. I've painted almost every room in my 1988 trailer, it sure does help the looks. Accenting with border does too. (11/12/2007) By glinda RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Abby, We painted the walls and ceilings in a mobile home 10 years ago and they still look fine. We painted the cheesy paneling, the wallpaper, both matte and shiny, and the plastic strips. We defied the experts and primed with water based primer, Bullseye 123, then a good quality paint. It's held up beautifully, even in areas that get regular scrubbing. We didn't sand anything. Most rooms required 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint. The exception was the wallpaper in my bedroom. This was the stuff that came permanently adhered to the sheet rock with strips between the panels. It had very dark brown dogwood branches that took 2 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint to cover. Removing the strips wasn't an option. I also live in FL, south of Tallahassee, and the sandy soil means mobile homes never stay level. Re-level them and it lasts about a week. Extensive spackel would have cracked. The strips seem to blend in with the wall when they're painted. We used satin finish paint on the walls and ceiling paint on the weird ceilings. The vaulted ceilings in this old trailer are prone to mold and mildew from a lack of air circulation between them and the roof. Several times a year we have to go over them with a strong bleach solution, actually 1/2 and 1/2 water/bleach. The water based primer and paint are still holding up fine, even under that assault. The ceilings have long acoustical like panels with plastic strip on the edges. We primed and painted the whole thing with the same stuff. Lou from Crawfordville, FL (11/12/2007) By Miz Lou RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Batten strips on walls and a lack of "real" moldings and baseboards scream mobile home. I have used two techniques to solve the wall problem. My son taped and floated every seam in the living room and dining room. It was a nightmare of sheet rock dust, and took several days, but the results were beautiful and has remained flawless for over 2 years. However, he does this for a living and his results far exceed those of the average homeowner. Another easier and cleaner technique I used in the bedrooms was to remove all batten strips, and hammer in any remaining trim nails. I used a razor blade to lightly score and peel off any wrinkled, loose or damaged vinyl from the wallboard. Then I applied textured, prepasted wallpaper from Lowes that is specifically made to bridge the uneven surfaces of paneling, block, etc. I selected a very light texture that ended up looking like linen on the walls ($11 per roll). I followed the manufacturer's directions, and used a cheap plastic wallpaper smoothing tool to smooth out bubbles without pushing the paper into the cracks. It's easy to apply, just don't overlap the seams. Even a tiny overlap will show. You can see through the paper when wet, but once dry, it's pure white and flaws are greatly minimized. I let dry overnight and then painted with two coats of satin paint. The paper bridged the vertical gaps between the wall panels beautifully, because the weight of this special paper prevents it from falling into the gaps between the wall panels. Finally, I always apply pre-primed baseboards, and window/door moldings to complete the update. Don't scrimp on size, i.e., 3-4 inch baseboards look good. If you don't have an electric miter saw $15 will buy a miter box and handsaw that will work just as well. Tip, if your window frames are attached with hex head screws, remove and replace with sheet rock screws before applying window moldings so they will lay flat against the wall. Also a high-adhesive primer and white paint can make the cheap hollow-core, fake wood doors look better too. (01/12/2008) By KoiFlowers Report Spam or Abuse Request: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Post by Stew_Admin (137) | (11/11/2007) Contact How should mobile home wallboard be treated before painting? Shae from Mooresville, NC Answers: RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home It's a great look, Shae. Check with your local hardware store? The staff are usually quite knowledgeable. As far as I recall, all we did was make sure the wallboard was clean. Good luck! Rose Anne (11/02/2006) By wordswork RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home From our experience. You need a good primer like Klitz or Oops. We painted it with that and then painted a color and they look great. (11/02/2006) By Michele RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home I like semi-gloss. So, take some light sandpaper, scuff the wall board a little. I used mildew proof semi-gloss on kitchen and bath. And had no trouble. Just on the first painting, you'll have to do two layers to allow for soaking in. I've also painted paneling like this. (11/02/2006) By glinda RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Kilz now comes in colors so you don't have to prime then paint again. I used it in my kitchen and loved it. Wal-mart carries it. I don't know who else does. (11/03/2006) By Carla RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Zinser makes a primer called BIN. I have used it to prime everything from unfinished wood to formica. It works like a charm and the paint sticks like white on rice. So very worth the price! Get it at Home Depot and Lowes. Maybe other places too. (11/08/2006) RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home WOW! I didn't know that Killz comes in colors! Thanks for that info!! :) (11/08/2006) By Ariela RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Kilz in colors works well and I have also used a Ralph Lauren from Home Depot ($5 Oops can) of sand paint. That was amazing one coat coverage and looked beautiful! Best wishes!! (11/14/2006) By LindaLou RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING THIS OURSELVES. WE JUST PAINTED RIGHT OVER THE WALLS.IT LOOKS GOOD.AND JUST A THOUGHT DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THE KILZ OR PRIMER TINTED A SPECIFIC COLOR? WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BUY PAINT THEN (11/15/2006) By IMAQT1962 RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Does Killz need to be sanded or smoothed or what ever? Once on the wall isn't it sort of powerdy, doesn't it show powerdy on your hand when touched? (11/15/2006) By Ariela RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home KILZ IS JUST LIKE USING PAINT. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SMOOTHED OR SANDED AND WON'T BE POWDERY UNLESS YOU'VE SANDED IT(WHICH YOU DON'T NEED TO DO)IF YOU SAND ANYTHING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE A CLOTH AND WIPE IT OFF. OUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE TINTED OUR KILZ FOR US BECAUSE WE WANTED A SPECIFIC COLOR,THEY HAD A MACHINE THAT IF YOU TOOK SOMETHING IN OR PICKED A COLOR FROM A COLOR CHART THEY CAN MATCH IT. WE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO PAINT OVER IT AND YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL IT WAS A PRIMER AND NOT A PAINT (11/16/2006) By RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home Does Klitz primer come in Semi- Gloss? The Mobile Home we are buying is very smoked damage from the lady smoking Cigarettes. I was told to use the Klitz primer then paint over it but I can get it in Semi- Gloss that would be a big help and cheaper on us. I like the shine from the Semi-Gloss plus you can wipe it off. Please let me know if anyone can help us on this little project. Thank You, (11/21/2006) By Tammy RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home I would also like to know if Kilz comes in semi-gloss or if semi-gloss paint can be added to it to get the sheen or something else can be done to get the ease of cleaning, thanks. (11/21/2006) By Ariela RE: Painting Walls in a Mobile Home We are moving into a modular home where heavy smokers lived. Can you paint the walls of a modular home? Or will it leave wrinkles in the wall? How do I go about doing this? My email address is southernvkb AT hotmail.com (11/09/2007) By Vickie Brooks Report Spam or Abuse