How to work with drywall installed backwards?

[jlo96f3]

Hello everyone,

Well, the remodeling has been in the works for two and half years to date with major stuff left over now---Kitchen cabinets and flooring. That said, when I was cleaning the wall with a damp cloth, but in all honesty managed to drop some large amounts of water on it, l immediatly noticed large bubbles developing. With a trowel a tried to see if how far/much I could scrape off and low and be hold the entire 8 foot section of material was coming off.

The reason the material wasn't sticking was because the previous drywall installer had managed to put it in bacwards, brown paper facing outward. Looks like when it was installed backwards, instead of just reversing it to the correct side, they went ahead and applied the nockdown texture on the brown side up.

My question, istead of removing (this section is way up, about 13 ft) and replacing it or reversing it to the correct side, which would require a lot of work so late in the remodeling, is there any other way in which a skim coat would work on this reversed side. Sanding? How about a primer?

Not afraid of the work but hopelfully there are better suggestions on approaching this.

Need help.

[HayZee518]

I would think that you could use a water based primer to seal the surface then use several thin coats as a "skim coat" to get to where you want then use another primer and finally a finish paint.

[pushkins]

Prime it with an oil based paint before you do anything. The oil based paint won't absorb into the paper like water based paints do and cause paper tear.
I most often use a Zinsser or Kills oil based paint, both are available at Home Depot or Lowe's. BUT use drop cloths, the oil paint is harder to get off furniture and you.
Then you will be able to skim coat the walls without a problem.
Often if you just apply the skim coat to any drywall with damaged finished surface the water from the drywall compound is absorbed into the damaged paper of the drywall and causes paper bubbling.