Sundays with Ydp: Wallpaper is controlling my life
Room before wallpaper removal
Okay so the title is a little dramatic, but I’ve been at it again. Removing more wallpaper in my home.
This time the project was small and I tackled removing the paper myself.
My bedroom had some gorgeous wallpaper on one wall creating a nice focal point. It was an excellent quality and probably the talk of the town (back in the 1800’s) lol, okay just kidding.
But here’s the deal, I put this project off way too long and now that we are downsizing I have to practice what I preach. When you put your house on the market, a broad appeal is best for potential buyers.
To my surprise, I learned a few more things about the art of removing wallpaper. Aside from having a ton of patience, here’s what I did this time.
Day 1
I borrowed a commercial steamer from one of my contractors and let the steam sit for a spell at the seams and the beginning of each strip. To my surprise, each section came down with ease. I found that what worked best was rhythmically moving down each section a little at a time, and it rolled off like butter.
Day 2
I washed the walls down with TSP which is a solution that cleans all the glue residue off the walls. (totally just learned this)
A good trick to make this easier, is to crank the steamer up again to loosen the glue, then gently scrape the glue off with a wide flat edge tool. Be careful not to dig into the walls (or you’ll
damage them) just use a gentle motion. Next wipe the walls down with the tsp solution.
Here’s where I enlisted my son’s help. As he steamed a section, I’d go behind him using a damp cloth with the tsp solution. The walls turned out smooth and awesome.
Day 3
We patched and sanded a few minor drywall issues, primed and painted the wall.
And here is how it turned out
The room appears more open, airy, relaxing and welcoming
Neutral paint replaces wallpaper
More tip
- Have a large garbage bag at the ready…One wall yielded one big mess:)
Use a small dull flat edge tool and a wide one to get under corners, cover broader areas, and gently scrape the glue. - When using TSP, make sure you wear really good rubber gloves. My hands felt like sandpaper when I completed the task. 🙁
- Grab a quick drying mud for minor drywall repairs and fine sandpaper.
Unlike my larger job here, I didn’t need a tinted oil based primer. I used two coats of Sherwin Williams cashmere paint and it turned out beautifully. I have learned that every contractor has their own set of tricks. I love hanging with them to soak up some new knowledge.
One final tip:
***If you have leftover paint from a previous paint project, and it’s enough for your current one, consider getting your paint supplier to customize a new color for you.
for example, I had a gallon of restrained gold leftover from my basement project. I didn’t want gold in my bedroom, so I asked sherwin williams to help me create a new color from their existing collection. My color ended up somewhere between urban jungle and quiver tan. You can see it below. I’m calling it magical mushroom 🙂
Thank you for stopping by friends. We hope to be an inspiration for your next project.
Which was your favorite tip? What wallpaper issues have you experienced? Do you need to consider removing wallpaper in your home?
Inspiring creativity,
Ricci
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