Torn Drywall Paper repair


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Old 01-16-23, 04:38 PM
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Torn Drywall Paper repair

We had some of those LED light strips on a bedroom wall for just over two years - and only removed them when they became a fire hazard due to likely malfunction. However, in the process of removing the strips, what I now know to be called "drywall paper" was damaged (photos included). It's very minor damage - the white spots seem to be where just paint chipped off, but the green is where it obviously tore down a little bit.

I'm the least handy person in the world and have done very minimal home repairs, so I'm not even sure where to begin on fixing this issue. I've seen some say that I need to do a coat of primer BEFORE I put any mud/spackle down, I've seen some say that I can skip it and just do a layer of mud/spackle WITHOUT primer, etc. Would slapping a thin coat of DryDex over the various little spots be enough, or should I sand it down before and after? Am I making this task infinitely harder than it needs to be?

A guiding hand on this is definitely appreciated.



 
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Old 01-16-23, 06:49 PM
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All those loose edges need to be peeled back. After you peel as much as you can, an oil primer can sometimes help seal that paper edge down. If you don't the moisture in the joint compound will cause those edges to peel and bubble even more. And you will want to use joint compound, not the drydex for this rather large repair. Coat it as smooth as you can, sand it with a sanding sponge. Coat it again if needed to get it smooth. Then prime it again and lightly sand before you paint.
 
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Old 01-17-23, 01:45 AM
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I'd take a utility knife and cut just past the ragged paper, that way you won't remove more paper than necessary. Either an oil base primer or Zinnser's Gardz is suitable for priming the exposed gypsum.
 
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