I've lived in this house for 22 years and had planned to remove this wall paper as the first home improvement. A friend about my age visited me recently and she said she used to visit in this house as a little girl, and clearly remembered the wallpaper! LOL So, that got me moving. Tried the hot water and fabric softener sprayed on the wall -- didn't touch it. A trip today to Menards and I came home with a wallpaper steamer gadget, and yes, it's working, but still a mess. I scored it all, with a "tiger" gadget, which makes little holes in the paper to soak up the moisture. It's taking 2 separate efforts for slow removal with a putty knife because every bit of wallpaper, so far, comes off separately from the kraft-type paper behind it, so that's double work.. Behind kraft-type paper is another very thin layer of something, white, some kind of coat - no one to ask, I'm going forward. That thin coat is staying in place in most spots but I'm not sure what it is. I'm sure there will be some sanding, primering, etc., before a final painting of this living room. I'll "call the man" for that job! I'm planning new carpet hopefully by June (another "call the man" job) so this pain in the patoot needs to be completed first. The wallpaper fortunatly does not go to the coved ceiling and is only on parts of the walls. Moving curio/chatzky cabinets will be another issue.
I laid down a plastic tarp, towels at the baseboard, brought a large tote to try and corral all the bits of paper. NOT pretty site, is it? Hope I don't get over my head. I covered the light switches in blue tape for safety.
And that's the reason I want no wallpaper in my house. I remember at my Mom's place, I had to change the wallpaper in the dining room, in the entrance, in the bedroom, every 5 - 6 years. I so hate that task and the mess that it produces. I don't envy you at all. Hope all goes better as you progress. ;^)
ReplyDeleteI want backsplash but haven’t looked into that yet. Maybe next year!
ReplyDeleteI remember removing wallpaper. I felt like I won the lottery when I got a large piece to peel off in one swath! Good luck. Hope the job ends easily for you.
Quick, quick, Elaine! Please tell me where you get your strength and energy, and how I can get some of it, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat you are doing reminds me of myself in the mid-80's when I was in my mid-40's! Hubs would go overseas on business for a couple weeks or so and I would get wound up and tackle big re-dec jobs. But I cannot seem to do it at this more mature age. How do you do it? You are going to have one gorgeous house when you are all finished. (Do we ever get "all finished?")
oh yes i did that job as well...i went the cheapo route and used a wet towel (not too wet) and my steam iron...worked fine...lol! glad those days are over for me...
ReplyDeleteYou are sure proving to be a great handyman!
ReplyDeleteOh, Elaine, you amaze me! This is such a big job! My Mom and older sister loved to repaper rooms and sometimes just put new up over the old. I recall the time Dad decided it all needed to come down in the living room, dining room and front bedroom, and we were just going to paint. Using the steamer, our house became a soggy mess as we worked on those rooms, peeling off multiple layers of paper. I decided I would never have wallpaper in my house when I grew up, and I never have. Mom's house still has it in two bedrooms, but we did eventually get it all removed from the other rooms.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you, and wish I lived close enough to come help!
Every house we moved into had wallpaper. I keep swearing it is the last time I remove it ..... it is such a messy job but you will be happy in the end. If you do end up making gouges, it is easy to fix, just messy with sanding down the spackle, but it is something that you can do yourself. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteSorry kind of late to visit but what has worked for me is a combo of white vinegar and water sprayed on...let it soak maybe 10 minutes. If it is still sticking, spray again and wait some more. Good luck!
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