Zinsser Gardz Water-Based Problem Surface Sealer, Clear, Quart

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 will seal any problem drywall or wallpaper you have so that you can skim coat. When you paint the wallpaper doesn't bubble or your ragged drywall doesn't mess up the skim coat. I used it both before skimming and after - it works best after. It goes a LONG way - I bought 2 cans and only needed one. It is very messy and you will need to be careful. I tried rolling, spraying (garden sprayer) and sponging it on - the best process was using a sponge (large car sponge) it will still run on you, so make sure you have the baseboards taped off first. Any that gets on the windows or other woodwork - wipe immediately and you'll be okay. The upside of it being so runny is that any that gets along the taped base, tends to seal the tape and when I painted, I had almost no bleed through when I removed the tape. It's a good product but you have to be careful applyiing it or you will have a clean up mess on your hands. It does seal the old wallpaper glue, but any small pieces of wallpaper that were still stuck had to be skimmed over or they would show when painting.

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.

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.

We were selling our house and the real estate agent recommended we replace the wall paper that had been there for at least 40 years. I had painters and wallpaper contractors come in and their pest advise was tear down the walls and put up new sheetrock. That was not going to work. My niece’s husband is a painter, but lives pretty far from where we live. He told us that pro painters swear by GARDZ as a primer to paint over wallpaper. Fortunately, the edges of the wallpaper were butted together so the joints were well hidden. I tried a small area low to the ground, where if it failed, I could create a piece of wood moulding to cover it. Joe recommended picking a color that matched the background of the wallpaper - just in case there was any bleed through. Important! The product is the consistency of skim milk. And as lightly as I tried, it was tough to keep it from running. Eventually I got the hang of it and decided to go for broke with one wall. Joe the pro recommended 2 coats, letting coat #1 dry for about an hour or so. We decided to go grocery shopping (if we only bought Purell that day!) which took about 2 hours including a stop for coffee. Now came the moment of truth. We picked a color blue that was mixed with Home Depot white flat base, and after taping off the white ceiling and the entrance trim, my wife and I went to work on painting the walls. The photo doesn’t really do it justice since I am taking this photo at night with lights from a fixture brightening up the room so the blue is screaming louder in the photo than it is in person.But the bottom line is GARDZ worked like a charm. The secret to using it is to just the “paint” gently, slowly and using as little bit at a time for both coats. Remember,it’s like trying to paint with skim milk. We had about 40 people come to our house. We got 2 offers, and signed a contract with a buyer that ended with them paying $500K for a home listed at $480K. Honestly I kept someone to yell out “He painted the wallpaper” but it came out so good that only the buyer heard about in full disclosure, and tried to find the signs of where it was seamed. But they were unable too. To be fair, if there was anywhere it was the least noticeable, I would take some sandpaper and joint compound, and made it perfect. So if you’re ever at a point where you’re trying to paint white over a red or black or a wallpapered room, GARDZ is a requirement. There seems to be an issue Amazon keeping it in stock AND I bought a gallon for a 15x20 room, There is enough left over that I could paint about 20 more wallpapered rooms. Fortunately I only had one. It is available outside of Amazon. The first 2 times, I was told it was on the way but running late, then there was a message they were refunding my money. So I tried again. Same thing. I tried a third place and they had quarts, which I bought and they arrived on the same day!

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.

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

used this after removing wallpaper to seal the drywall before painting, and it worked really well. It went on smoothly, dried evenly, and helped create a consistent surface for primer and paint. It also seemed to seal the exposed drywall well, which gave me more confidence that the final paint finish would look even. The coverage was good, and a little went a long way. If you’re tackling a room after wallpaper removal, I’d definitely recommend this as part of the prep process. It made the painting stage much easier and the end result looked great.

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

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.

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!