Just bought my first house. One room has fiberboard walls - can/should we replace?

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mynewoldhouse

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while there are a multitude of things that we'd like to do, replacing these (in our opinion, ugly) fiberboard walls is close to the top. this fiberboard looks like patched up cardboard. that said, i am not yet a DIY'er so i'd likely need to hire it out. before i do, i come to you fine folks with questions:

1. is there any reason NOT to replace the fiberboard with drywall?
2. are there more "attractive" fiberboard panels available?
3. who would typically install fiberboard - someone who does drywall or another specialty?

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thanks!
 
First off welcome to the forum. :welcome:



I’m not a big fan of that type of wall/ceiling covering myself but as it goes yours looks like it was done ok. That is an interesting little office space and my guess it was a storage area and the previous owner converted it to a home office space.



The easy fix would be to cover it with a thin layer of drywall and finish it to be smooth and more to your liking. The question is was it properly insulated when it was done? Is the room cold in winter? Does it have a heat/AC source?



What are your plans for the room? If it is just going to be a storage room again I doubt I would do much.



To recover the wall could be a not so bad DIY project. It would require taking everything out including the lighting and then going over what is there or ripping it out and starting over. We could walk you thru the project.

With a new house and a list of projects you need to figure out a order you need to go after them. Something like this is cosmetic IMO and would come after any real issues the home may have. :coffee:
 
First off welcome to the forum. :welcome:



I’m not a big fan of that type of wall/ceiling covering myself but as it goes yours looks like it was done ok. That is an interesting little office space and my guess it was a storage area and the previous owner converted it to a home office space.



The easy fix would be to cover it with a thin layer of drywall and finish it to be smooth and more to your liking. The question is was it properly insulated when it was done? Is the room cold in winter? Does it have a heat/AC source?



What are your plans for the room? If it is just going to be a storage room again I doubt I would do much.



To recover the wall could be a not so bad DIY project. It would require taking everything out including the lighting and then going over what is there or ripping it out and starting over. We could walk you thru the project.

With a new house and a list of projects you need to figure out a order you need to go after them. Something like this is cosmetic IMO and would come after any real issues the home may have. :coffee:
thanks bud! we plan to use it as a play room as it's connected to my son's room.

so far it seems pretty well insulated (from sound as well) if the temperature is any indication.

i definitely don't know if i'm yet up to the task of doing this myself. that said, i have seen some better looking fiberboard panels. would it make any sense to look into just replacing the panels with something a bit more attractive?

thanks again!
 
I agree with Bud. Put a layer of drywall over it. I think if you open it up, you might find some things that might require more work.
 
thanks bud! we plan to use it as a play room as it's connected to my son's room.

so far it seems pretty well insulated (from sound as well) if the temperature is any indication.

i definitely don't know if i'm yet up to the task of doing this myself. that said, i have seen some better looking fiberboard panels. would it make any sense to look into just replacing the panels with something a bit more attractive?

thanks again!
Yes you can cover it with just about anything. They even make a backer product for wall paper that you glue up first and then wall paper over. Paper comes in all kind of prints and maybe something that would be good for a child's play room. That is a DIY project or you could hire a paper hanger.

Another option is to remove the boards covering the joints between the seams and then tape them with mesh drywall tape and then skim coat and paint the ceiling. You could do that as DIY or hire a plasterer. It can be done as a smooth or texture finish.

Lastly sometimes just a fresh coat of paint or a color change can make a big difference.

Honestly most kids won't notice the difference.
 
I wonder if you can just glue & nail up some beadboard or something. It would look better than the fiberboard, might be easier than drywall, and wouldn't require tearing anything down.
An alternative would be some sort of plywood that you can then paint. Maybe get some kind of peel & stick mural type stuff like little clouds and do blue at the top or something and make it look like a sky so it feels like a larger space.
 
Following up on this thread thanks for the replies!

I’m going to get a quote for drywall (both over top the fiberboard and by removing completely.

Question: should there be any concerns regarding insulation or moisture? I had posted this question elsewhere and a few folks brought that point up.
 
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