Vinyl wallboard

[Cleo]

I posted this on the decorating board, but maybe it should be here.

I'm a new owner of an older (79) single wide. The previous owner, a senior, had a grab bar installed in the bathroom. I've removed it but now there are large (dime size) holes in the wall from the bolts that held the bar. How do I go about repairing this? Spackle? There's nothing behind the wall for anything to hold onto. Also I'd like to paint the vinyl wallboard but some spots have bubbled. Do I have to strip the vinyl off or can I just cut off the bubbled areas and spackle over them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Greg]

You could try spackle/joint compound. The problem that I could see is making it at least water resistant if it is in the tub area. You could check the home centers or hardware stores and see if they have any kind of a repair kit. Greg

[Cleo]

Thanks Greg. I've already checked with Home Depot and Lowe's, and they don't have any kits. One fellow suggested trying to get a mesh in behind the wall that the spackle would stick to, but didn't know how I would go about trying to get the mesh, other than making a larger hole.

[Yanita]

HI,

You could try a can of low expanding spray foam in the hole. Go easy with this... do not fill the hole completely. Once it has cured then you could use the spackle or joint compound.

As for the bubbled area...please do not try to remove the vinyl from the sheet rock, this comes factory sealed to together, you will have a major wall renovation if you do.

I think I would take a sharp utility knife and lightly score around the areas that are bubbled, remove the vinyl paper and then spackle that area.

Please know that this vinyl paper generally has a slight texture to it, this is hard to replicate when using spackle or compound. Once painted it may look like flat spots where you filled these areas.

Yanita