GARDZ Problem Surface Sealer

Worked great for us. We bought a house with mud over wallpaper and towards the baseboards it was beginning to peel. We trimmed the excess off with a box knife, did a light sand, and two coats of this stuff. It completely stuck everything to the wall and we were able to repair raised spots with some more mud. It looks brand new. This is also great for covering exposed gypsum. It was super easy to use, and relatively cheap for the amount you get, especially because it’s thin.

In the world of home improvement, finding a reliable solution for problem surfaces can be a daunting task. However, my search came to a swift and satisfying end with the discovery of Gardz Water-Based Problem Surface Sealer. Allow me to share my firsthand experience with this remarkable product. First and foremost, let's talk about effectiveness. Gardz is not your ordinary surface sealer – it's a powerhouse when it comes to addressing surface imperfections such as peeling paint, flaking plaster, or damaged drywall. This water-based formula penetrates deep into the substrate, creating a rock-solid foundation for paint or wallpaper to adhere to, ensuring a smooth and durable finish that lasts. What truly sets Gardz apart is its versatility. Whether you're dealing with a small patch repair or tackling an entire room renovation, this problem surface sealer is up to the task. Its clear, non-yellowing formula dries quickly and can be applied with ease using a brush, roller, or sprayer, making it suitable for a wide range of projects. But the benefits don't stop there. Gardz also acts as a barrier to prevent future damage, sealing in residual adhesive, and preventing moisture from penetrating the surface. This not only prolongs the life of your paint or wallpaper but also helps to maintain the structural integrity of the underlying substrate, saving you time and money on costly repairs down the line. Cleanup is a breeze, thanks to Gardz's water-based formula that can be easily removed with soap and water. Plus, the low odor and VOC-free formulation make it safe and easy to use indoors, without the need for harsh chemicals or special ventilation. In terms of value, Gardz Problem Surface Sealer is worth its weight in gold. Its effectiveness, versatility, and durability make it a must-have for any homeowner or professional contractor looking to achieve professional-quality results. Whether you're tackling a DIY project or a large-scale renovation, Gardz has got you covered. Trust me, once you experience the transformative power of Gardz Problem Surface Sealer, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.

I was not able to find this at the local Lowes or Home Depot, which really surprised me. Had to get it here. After viewing several YouTube videos this sealer was suggested by the majority of the painters. I removed a chair rail and when I was removing it from the wall, the paint came with it and tore the sheetrock paper in several areas. Sheetrock is covered by about 6 or 8 layers of brown paper before you get to the actual "chalk" like gypsum core. and you have to seal it to keep it from blistering. Moisture from joint compound (Mud) gets trapped behind the tape or paper surface, causing it to separate from the gypsum. It is easy to apply, I used a small paint brush. It has the consistentcy of watery glue so be careful when applying it or you will have it all over. It covered the areas easy. If you can buy the quart size I recommend it, a little goes a long way. I let it dry over night and came back the next day with the "mud" to cover the torn paper areas. It worked great, I had no "blisters" come up on any of the paper at all. And I had never "mudded" before , ( I was scared to death to try) but found out it is easier that it looks(always use a metal drywall knife or trowel that is at least 4 to 6 inches wide. Plastic trowels don't work as well. I got a quart of the ready made mud and it turned out great. Walls are smooth and paint went on super easy. (24 hours for the joint compound to dry)

This is a superb product and a must have if preparing damaged drywall, previously wall papered walls or anywhere you might get bubbling if you just go straight to paint or standard primer. Goes on quickly and easily, dries hard and makes finish coats easier to apply uniformly and without bubbling. Can use it to prime good surfaces as well.

This is basically a huge container of mod podge as far as I can tell. It is thin and watery but soaks into torn drywall paper very well and seals it up nicely. Smell is not too bad. I used it to fix a wall after taking down wood paneling. If you are planning on skim coating over this stuff though, you need to be aware that you will have horrible bubbling problems on any coat of joint compound after your first coat. Your first coat will be fine, but any mud you put on top of that first coat will look like your house is possessed and your mud was mixed with holy water. Not a few small bubbles... more like the wall is boiling and or carbonated. This seems to be because the Guardz seals the wall up so well that moisture/air no longer penetrates. Your first skim coat of mud once dry is porous like a sponge and full of air. When you apply another coat on top, the moisture soaks into your dry first coat and drives the air out of it. With the wall being sealed by Guardz, the air has nowhere to go but up to the surface, creating bubbles. Then you think maybe you can go over the surface with your knife and knock the bubbles down, but the pressure you apply must force even more air out of the substrate because once you knock down the bubbles, another round quickly rises. Apparently this is not really unique to Guardz, the same thing happens if you try to apply mud over any painted/sealed surface. First coat of mud is fine, then all subsequent coats of mud will bubble. I did not know this going into my project and so I coated the entire wall in Guardz and planned on doing multiple thin skin coats. My second and third skim coat were filled with bubbles and the wall looked terrible. I ended up sanding almost all the way back down to my first skim coat and painstakingly spackling in the bubbles with very dry (thick) mud, which still bubbles, but not quite as badly as thin mud. At this point I still had some tiny bubble holes and I was also concerned that my texture would bubble once it was sprayed on. So I applied several coats of a thick drywall primer/surfacer which filled in the bubbles and sealed up the wall well enough so that the wet texture did not bubble when applied. Guardz could have been used for this step as a sealer but it is not thick enough to fill imperfections, so I think it is better to use a primer/surfacer before texturing. Anyway, lessons learned: this works great for sealing up torn drywall paper but only plan on putting one single thick skim coat on top, then sand it as flat as you can get it, apply a primer/surfacer, and texture. If you must do multiple coats of mud, you will probably need to let each coat dry completely and then seal it with Guardz before applying the next coat so that you do not get bubbles.

ChatGPT recommended this for the walls in my bathroom, I had removed wallpaper from the 1980s and there was leftover adhesive that wouldn’t come off with washing the walls. I didn’t mind the actual texture, I just wanted to make sure that the paste wasn’t going to gum up with humidity and paint. After washing, I painted this on. It’s really thin and transparent, so you have to make sure that you can see the areas that you applied it to as to make sure that it’s covering completely. It did have a slightly different sheen than the wallpaper paste, so that made it a little easier for me. I used a flashlight at an angle to double check my work. This dried really fast and I felt confident that I could paint over it. After painting, I’ve had zero issues. Highly recommend.

I had 20 year old wallpaper, lining paper and paste to remove and then paint the walls - easy, right?!? I removed it with a steamer, paste remover, hot water and softener...you name it. It was the worst wallpaper removal of my life and left me with a wall that was pitted, torn, and riddled with solid paste I couldn't remove even with thorough sanding. I couldn't sand any more because it was tearing the drywall paper too deep and couldn't wet anymore because it was ruining the drywall... Catch 22! I read about this product and had nothing to lose by trying. I patched the large tears then sanded the wall one last time, cut away any peeling or curling drywall paper, wiped with a lightly damp rag and clean water to remove dust - then i let it dry completely. I then said a quick prayer and got to work. It is a cloudy white/blue, very liquid product. I used a medium nap roller that I was happy to toss after using it (incase cleaning didn't work!). At first I made a drippy, sloppy mess which was easily wiped up. The consistency is very different to paint. I quickly caught on that if the roller is full, light pressure is all I needed combined with slow rolling motion to avoid a ridiculous amount of splatter. After I "got" it, the job went very quickly! I waited for it to dry and touched up any areas that didn't match the shiny-ish finish it has when dry. I didn't have much to touch up because it as pretty easy to see missed spots when I was applying. I chose not to do a second coat as the wall was now solid. I then applied a texture onto the wall (thinned mud applied with a roller). It adhered very well to the gardz. Once dry, I applied a second coat of gardz to the texture. My wall was off white /yellow, with some patches, but I knew the paint would apply evenly because the surface was sealed, so I chose to apply a paint/primer in one from sherwin Williams. I needed only one coat and the finish was completely even and perfect! This is a wonderful product. I did have paste left on the wall (not a ton) - it sealed it. I had a mud texture (dried) -it sealed it. I had damaged drywall that would have been a huge undertaking to patch and flatten -the gardz helped me do that and avoid drywall patches. Other major bonus - this is not oil based!!!!!!!! It also cleans up easy if done immediately after spill or use. After that - never going to happen.

I've been going through our 1980's home removing popcorn ceilings, but it's essentially impossible to remove the popcorn and not damage the underlying ceiling, which often involves tearing up the paper. If you then don't seal the paper before proceeding, it can bubble up when it contacts the water in paint or drywall compound. That's where GARDZ comes into play. In the first room I used another product that the local big boxes sell call BIN. It's an excellent primer but has 2 problems - it's a shellac, meaning the solvent is ethanol. You have to apply it with a chemical respirator. Imagine smashing a bottle of vodka on the floor then trying to paint the ceiling before you pass out. Second, it's expensive. About DOUBLE what GARDZ costs. The largest con to both is that the products themselves are very low viscosity. It's a lot like trying to paint using half and half. GARDZ itself appears a lot like watered down PVA glue - opaque-ish white liquid. No real smell. Dries relatively quickly. You should use a low pile roller and be careful, mask the floor, etc. Coverage is about accurate, but if you have a lot of exposed drywall paper, it will soak up and limit coverage. In my process, after scraping the ceiling, I sanded it to get rid of all the small paper tags, then applied GARDZ. Then sanded again before skimming the ceiling with drywall mud. Lastly, Amazon ships these appropriately. There are several metal clips that keep the top on so it doesn't explode en route.

Excelente sellador de humedad. Me ayudo mucho con humedad que tenía en el baño. Lo súper recomiendo.

Excellent product for sealing up damaged drywall. I used it to help repair the wall after removing the tile backsplash in the kitchen. It sealed up the exposed paper and gypsum without causing it to soak in and lift away. Highly recommend for this type of repair.

Delivered on time right for the purpose could not buy it anywhere else

My drywall paper peeled when prepping a room for painting. This sealer worked for coating the area prior to priming. I would recommend it. Seller was fast at sending the item!

This is truly a miracle surface sealer. I had badly crumbled drywall, with the paper gone in patches. Was unwilling to re-drywall so I followed instructions, sanded it down and painted it. You'd never know the problem area was there.