So the previous owner must have received a tremendously great offer on wood wall paneling because it is all over except for the kitchen. It is even in the bathroom, albeit paint a weird orange sherbet color.
I want to tear it all down but a HD guy in the paint department put a scare inside me by saying I don't know what's behind it… might be opening a whole new can of worms.
So my options are 1) tear it all down and hope for the best- which did not work out for me when I pulled up a bedroom carpeting… 2) fill the ridges with joint compound/wood filler – apply a layer of Killz and paint over it. 3) Either rip it down or not put 1/4" drywall over it.
Also, I should mentioned that on both sides of rooms there are party walls(it is a row house)will no studding – just solid(I think) party walls.
Any advise or pitfalls I should avoid on any of the three methods.
Best Answer
The attitude in Philadelphia seems to be to put layer over layer over layer. After a few layers, the home begins to look and feel "not right".
The exterior walls are likely plaster directly over brick, which is entirely repairable. The problem is that the wallpaper is time consuming to remove. The interior walls will be plaster over lath. If you're lucky, they will have removed the plaster before installing the paneling. You are probably not lucky. It doesn't matter much, because you're going to change the thickness of the walls anyway you go, and you will have to replace the door jams.
I had the same problem, and I chose to rip everything down. The condition of my 60's electrical was the deciding factor. If you have plaster, you'll have up to two tons of material per floor to remove. You'll have to rent a truck to bring the debris to a recycling facility and figure out the logistics of where to park, etc.
The hardest part was the upstairs bathroom. A 60s remodel (complete with pink tile) put reinforced concrete of 3/4" to 1-1/2" thickness on the walls and floor. Tough, messy and heavy.
Helpful hint: Fill any little holes the party walls (where the brick was cut to fit the floor joists) with steel wool. They can be like mice superhighways.