How do I remove & hide the strips and gaps on modular wall panels?

Jkr21261285
by Jkr21261285
I've read some people's fixes, but then it seems it is followed by a person saying that didn't work for them! What is the answer? I HATE ALL THE RANDOM STRIPS ON MY WALLS!!!
  9 answers
  • Anita Jenkins Anita Jenkins on May 13, 2017

    I used to wall paper as a side job years ago. I ran into that problem at an office that was being redecorated. The solution is to buy wall paper liner. It is hung just like wall paper. When it is wet and applied to the paneling it expands and fills the lines. FYI you may have to pep the paneling to accept the liner. After that is dried on the wall then you can wall paper. I never used it as a finished product and painted it though. However I do know they have textured wall paper (fairly heavy duty) now that can be painted. Not sure if that will hide the lines of the paneling. Hope this is helpful.


  • William William on May 13, 2017

    Some strips have channels that the panels slip into. Some are just tacked on the surface covering the seams. My daughter lived in a modular home. What I did was remove the strips, fill the grooves with drywall patching compound level with the panels. Let that dry overnight. Use a damp sponge to smooth out the compound. Let it dry, then primed and painted.

  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on May 13, 2017

    I don't know exactly what you're dealing with because I don't have a modular home, but I did have two rooms- one with paneling and one with knotty pine tongue and groove. When we moved in there was knotty pine everywhere. That was in 1972 and it just looked so old fashioned at the time. I took spackling compound and carefully filled in all the indented lines. It took more than once because spackling sinks in as it dries unless you put on a lot, then you have way too much to sand away. (IMHO) I did sand them after they were all filled in, then went back to check every line. It took a while because I did a room and paneling on one wall in another room. I wallpapered the paneling room but painted the other room.


    If by random strips, you mean they stick out, you might be able to remove them and fill in those lines. Of course, all of this means you'll have to paint or paper the room. I don't know if its worth it for you to do that, but that's what I did and it worked fine. It was easy to do, just time consuming. Good luck! :)

  • Barb Barb on May 14, 2017

    Remove the slats betwen each piece of paneling. You could put wall compound, let dry and wet sponge smooth. Let that dry and use wall paperliner, cover with another paintable wallpaper

  • John John on May 14, 2017

    remove the strips, fill the seams with silicon caulk, level with a straight edge ruler...from top to bottom...making sure the ruler is flush on the panels on both sides of the seam....no gaps in the caulking...once dry you paint over it...the reason for all the seams....mobile homes are constantly settling because of no foundation and if the seams were not there, the walls would buckle at the point where two panels touch...this is why I said silicon caulk...it expands and shrinks....unlike sheet rock mud

  • John John on May 14, 2017

    forgot this above....do a strip in a closet first to see how you like it...if you don't like the results, replace the original strip and no one will ever see it

  • John John on May 15, 2017

    silicone caulk can be painted on with silicone based paint....silicone bonds to silicone

  • Jkr21261285 Jkr21261285 on May 15, 2017

    thank you, very helpful!


  • Christine Christine on Feb 05, 2020

    I have just had tongue and grove wet wall to my bathroom see the seams as it is a solid colour what can i do to hide the seams