DIY Network

We are replacing vanity and toilet in the half bathroom. The walls have quit a bit of paint and some damage due to the removal of the vanity and top. What is the best way to redo the walls? Some have said to tear down the dry wall and put new ones up, texture and paint. Some have said to sand, plaster, texture and paint. We got quote between $500 and $800 for a bathroom which is 5ft by 5ft. We would like to attempt ourselves and want to do it right. Any advice will be appreciated.

Replacing the drywall would probably be best, but if you didn't want to do that I would scrape everything as flat as you can get it, coat it with primer, and patch everything with joint compound. Pull the joint compound tight, do multiple coats, and scrape with a clean putty knife between coats to knock down any ridges created by the knife you are using to do the patching. Remember to make each coat cover a little more of the wall then the last. Sand it (with premixed joint compound and not that much wall space, a fine grit sanding sponge should be enough) and prime all the joint compound. I would put the vanity in before painting the finish coats. Also, allow for proper dry time at all stages to avoid trouble.

The wall gets finished and painted before the vanity or any fixtures get put in place. Why would you want to have to paint tape and tarp around anything if you have a choise.