 | Shellie Blevens has 17 years of experience in the window covering and decorating field. She may be reached at 620-231-5440 for a free consultation. The Home Place at 616 N. Broadway is a full line Hunter Douglas dealer and appointments can be made to meet with Shellie Blevens, the owner and professional decorator to determine what would work best for you. They also carry custom window treatments by Graber and Comfortex. Custom made fabric beddings and window treatments can also be made at the Home Place, and there are many, many fabrics to choose from. The Home Place has been in business since 1983 and Shellie Blevens has owned it since 1996. |
Home Furnishings
2011-05-01 10:46:00
What’s the best way to remove old wall paper? - part 1 drywall
Question: We live in an older home that has many rooms of wallpaper that we want to update. What is the best way to remove the old paper and improve the walls with new paper, paint or texture?
Answer: Wallpaper is one of those decorating mediums that is either loved or hated. If you were the one who originally picked it out, you may love it for years and years. However, if the wallpaper was already in the home when you moved in, you may hate it. There is, also, paper that you loved when you picked it out, but it looks very outdated compared to the home you would like to have now.
Before trying to remove the old wallpaper, there are some things you need to discover first. Are your original walls plaster and lathe, or are they sheet rock (drywall) wallboard? If your home was built before 1950, and has not had any major renovations, the walls are most likely made of plaster over lathe. If your home is newer than 1950, the walls may be sheetrock or a form of gypsum board. Once you know what type of walls you have it will help with the removal of the wallpaper.
How to remove wallpaper over newer walls made from drywall board or sheet rock:
First, find a seam on the wallpaper and try to pull a corner loose to see if the paper will pull off easily. If the walls were primed and sized (primed for wallpaper), the paper may pull off very easily. If it doesn’t pull off easily, you are in for some work. If the paper does not come off easily, it may have been applied directly to the drywall or sheetrock without first priming or painting the drywall. If this is the case, when you try to remove the paper, the paper from the drywall may also come off, leaving a rough ugly surface. If you find the paper is stuck tight, it may be best to use a wallpaper primer over the old wallpaper and leave it intact. Once the old paper is primed with a latex wallpaper primer, it can be papered over with new paper. If painting is the way you want to go, it is possible to paint the old wallpaper, but don’t expect it to look as nice as new drywall. The seams may show, and the paper may bubble slightly in places. Even if the paper does pull off easy, painting still may not be a good idea unless you texture the wall first. Most walls that are painted were finished for paint when they were first built. The walls for paint almost always have some kind of knock down texture and the seams are finished very smooth, but for wallpaper, the seams are covered and no texture is added. If the paper does come off, but in small pieces, the best way to get it off is to use a steamer. Large steamers can be rented with wallpaper remover attachments. More on plaster walls next month…
