we've tried it both ways and i would recommend just leaving those trim pieces on. the problem with removing them and using joint compound to fill in the seams is that the vinyl wallboard is not completely smooth, there is a slight embossed pattern on it. in the bathroom that we removed the trim pieces and filled in the seams, the difference in texture is pretty noticeable and it's driving me crazy. in our family room we removed the trim pieces and used joint compound all over the walls, to give a venetian plaster look to the walls. this came out pretty well, but some of the seams have some slight cracking. the rest of the house we painted and left the trim pieces on and i think it looks fine (well, as fine as it can be with trim pieces on the danged walls..lol) ideally, i would like to have DH drywall the entire house, with real drywall, so we can eliminate the trim pieces entirely without worrying about the difference in texture.

good luck!
jiggreen

I agree that the seam patching is not perfect. But I prefer it to those awful strips! I've found that the important thing is to prime the walls before painting - VITAL! And don't be obsessive about sanding out the spackle in the joints...it isn't perfectly smooth anyway.

I thought I couldn't stand the trim pieces until I started to remove them! It ended up causing me much bigger headaches and now I'm back to the point where I really don't notice the trim over the seams! LOL

Seriously, I went to remove ONE piece a few years back. It was right down the center of the hallway and I thought it was so annoying. Well, the wallpaper that the trim is wrapped had stuck to the wall. When I pulled it off, the wallpaper on the wall started to peel off. Now, it seemed easy enough at first to just remove the paper however it's really not meant to peel off! The paneling they use underneat started to splinter and I had an AWFUL mess! A job that I thought would only take like a half hour or so and then I could paint in the morning ended up taking much longer and costing more money because we ended up getting the painteable wallpaper so I could cover the mess and start from scratch! I'm not removing another dang stip again! Besides, we're thinking within the next ten years, we'll be building a house here so since this is temporary, I'm not going overboard! LOL

Sweets, if it is temporary I can't say I blame you. Fixing those things is a pain! But we plan to live here the rest of our lives and I just gotta get rid of 'em. I've had the best results trying to keep the damage to a minimum - if something peels, keep it short - and don't spare the spackle! What kills me is when two panels don't line up. You know, one will be about 1/8 inch forward of the other. TRY to make that look right!

An 1/8", try the one in our bathroom! It's together at the top and at the bottom, there is a 1/2" gap! That was fun trying to fill and I think that's when I decided enough was enough! At leat it's behind the door and can't really be seen by everyone!

It was only within the last year that I really started to think about the furture and whether or not it's cost effective to put money into this place. It's finally looking like it CAN happen! We still plan to replace some windows and do some other things but nothing really pricey like getting granite countertops or anything like that. We'll save that for the new place. Honestly, DH and I are really wanting to go with either a double wide or modular then anyway. We love our home, just wish we had more room and if things were set up differently, maybe we could add on but we're too close to the property line on the side it would be easiest on. :(

LOL, Sweets! That does sound familiar. There was one in the den that we call "the Grand Canyon". It was 3/4" wide at some points! But that extra light weight spackle does a pretty good job of filling in without cracking and shrinking.

Yeah...granite countertops are totally out here. I think the kitchen cabinets are really made of paper. Good thing I don't even like granite!

As for adding on. We are converting an added porch into a game room. It started as a porch and the previous owners closed it in and put windows around three sides. Now we are trying to shore it up and straighten out their very poor carpentry to make a space for our pool table. I hope I live long enough to see it finished! HA!

Boy, can I ever relate. We just moved into our M.H. a month ago and I decided I couldn't stand those strips and wallboard. Started in my bathroom and a month later I'm still working on it. Washed the walls and took off the strips, then caulked the gaps - some as big as 3/4" with an elastic caulking that is expandable. Two coats of primer and a base coat of paint. Now I'm getting ready to do a technique called ragging to see if it will help with the lines and imperfections. Really is a LOT OF WORK!!! Hope it will be worth it in the long run.

Aargh! I have been laboring over a bathroom forever. I took all the strips down because I hate them. I learned my lesson about using a primer over the vinyl wallboard. The result feels like a "real" wall. I started spackling over the gaps but then these HUGE gaps reared their ugly heads. I went online and found this incredible paper that is applied horizontally after priming. I was able to purchase it at a local paint store. This is the best stuff ever. For regular gaps it covers really well. For the big gaps there's not much you can do unless you pull out the panels and start over. The paper is pretty heavy and can be purchased prepasted. After priming it I'll try some creative painting to disguise the gargantuan gaps.

I hate the walls here so will get some estimates on drywalling over them for the rest of the house. We may try it ourselves. Hmmm.

I just found this forum the other day while searching for some information on redecorating a doublewide. Mine is 1999 - new to me so I have been here for 6 years and ready for some changes - first and foremost getting rid of ALL the white walls - gggrrrr. The first room we are working on is the MasterBath - I figure we can make all our mistakes there and no one sees it but us. I am looking for a very cottage look so painted those generic oak cabintes a very highgloss white - they look fabulous. I am going to paint the walls a soft crisp green with white moldings. If we can't get the places where the strips were to look good then I am going to put up furring strips like you see in cottages and paint to match the moldings.

I really wish there was publication that was designed for redecorating MH and the unique problems they persent. I have seen one or two episodes on decorating shows on HGTV but you have to be lucky to catch them. This is our retirement home and we really want to put our own personal touches in it.....

Lynne

I so agree with lynnencfan! There thousands of people living in MH's these days and the issues we face are truly different from those faced in "traditional" homes. I spent the last 20 years remodeling one of those but now I feel like a true greenhorn again! I love my recently purchased older (1998) MH but I unsure on how to proceed with some of the changes I want to make.
I absolutely HATE the wallboard strips and want to remove them & paint. I would like to hear from anyone who has used the expandable caulking that LGANN was talking about. That is the method that was recommended to me as well but I don't know if that is the best way or if I should go with the tape & spackel approach.
Ideas? Input anyone?

Gee - I had forgotten that this was the first thead I had posted in on this forum. Anyways - Since last September we have really bit the bullet and gone ahead and redecorated. These pictures are in a couple other threads but thought I would post a link here also. We used spakling compound in the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen area. We used wider furing strips in the family room to get the look I wanted. I want a farmhouse/cottage look so a little roughness didn't bother me as far as the walls went. I think it turned out pretty nice. The slideshow will go from finished rooms to the before look. All I can add is GO FOR IT - take that leap......

Lynne

Here is a link that might be useful: Remodeling pictures

I plan on using the paintable wallpaper that looks like plaster. For filling the big gaps.. maybe try that expandable foam that comes in a can.. it hardens when dry..then something over it.. mud or paintable paper.
I've lived here for 14 years and just getting around to it.
(ok - fixed up the kitchen.. new counters/ new cooktop.. makes the walls look awful so they're next.

I painted my entire double wide and the two things I recomend is use water based primer, if your painting with a color have them tint the primer to match the paint (it's much easier to get out of brushes and smells better too) also buy a really good paint. I used American Tradition from Lowe's, it is worth the price. By the Way. Does anyone know where I can buy a 8 foot piece of that vinyl wrapped small wood piece that covers the seems in the wallboards. I have one in my family room the is creased on the edge and it runs right down the seam on my mariage wall.....HELP it's driving me crazy, really want to replace it.

Forgive me, but in spite of all this good advice and great ideas I need to know if I can paint the trim... that plastic covered fake wood looking stuff that's all over the place!!

I dislike how mobile homes have that wood contrast running all around the ceilings. I read that because it's a contact paper covered trim that you can't paint it??? I have very little money and live on a fixed income but would love to just fix this one major eyesore... I'll live with the vinyl walls... help please? Thanks!