I realize many people would not buy a home that has wallpaper. But after stripping approximately 12,000 sf (a conservative estimate) just at MM + about 4,000 sf at our first home, while trying several supposedly best methods for tackling old wallpaper, I believe we could qualify as experts on that subject. Weve tested bottled solutions, vinegar & warm water, & fabric softener in warm water--applied with a spray bottle or garden sprayer--using a ladder for areas above 7. All were used with our old reliable Red Devil wallpaper scrapers, which are designed better than the new models, & new old stock replacement blades (eBay). After months of painfully slow progress, we finally surrendered & bought a Wagner power steamer & adjustable scaffolding with casters. Up to 2-3 layers of old wallpaper came off easily with a few seconds of steam & a wide blade joint knife (less likely to gouge plaster than the sharp knife), & we found that working from scaffolding was much easier on legs/knees/spines. I developed a rhythm holding the steamer plate in my left hand while stripping paper with the joint knife in my right hand. However, I didnt realize until later that its easier to clean old paste residue while its wet. A large sponge & bucket filled with white vinegar & warm water do the trick. We had some help from Lana & even Mom, who kept trying to climb a smaller stepladder when she thought nobody would notice. (Granddaughters are allowed to rat out disobedient grandmothers! ) As crazy as it sounds, both Lana & I find stripping wallpaper to be therapeutic. If we still didnt have lots of work ahead, I might even become a professional stripper (wallpaper, that is!). Here are a few more tips we learned along the way: 1. Wear work gloves to prevent blisters from gripping tools for hours. (I tend to attack most projects like Im killing snakes.) Over the past few years weve worn out nearly 2 dozen pairs of goatskin work gloves Mr. Fix-it orders in bulk from Marshall Glove Co. in Evansville. Theyre inexpensive, flexible, comfortable, & provide good protection for a wide range of other activities--yardwork, stripping paint with a heat gun, etc. 2. Wear a dust mask. I developed bronchitis twice while removing wallpaper, due to breathing in dust from old paper, paste, & plaster. Breathing through a mask made working close to the ceiling uncomfortably hot, but I managed to cool off with a small fan clipped to the scaffoldings railing. 3. A rotary scoring tool (available at paint & hardware stores) can be helpful when removing vinyl-coated wallcovering, to allow steam to penetrate to the paper backing. 4. Dont rush the steamer, allow it to do the work. A stripping tool with a razor blade (such as Red Devil) may be necessary if walls werent sized before wallcovering was hung. 5. Protect floors with dropcloths. Old paper with reconstituted paste is difficult to remove from floors after it dries. 6. Administer therapy after every shift of physical DIY: frozen gel packs for strained back muscles &/or tendonitis in arms/shoulders (a common side effect of stripping wallpaper or paint), hot baths with 2 c. epsom salt, stick-on pain relief patches (stock up at Dollar Tree), OTC pain relievers (NSAID or Extra Strength Tylenol), &/or Absorbine paint relief liquid. (We used to laugh when my paternal grandmother recommended Absorbine for every ache & pain, but I became convinced after smashing my thumb in a car door when I was in 2nd grade---even though still black & blue, my thumb didnt hurt after she swabbed it with Absorbine several times that night.) It smells horrible, but I use it at night & shower again in the morning. Im amazed at how well it works, & always try to keep it on hand. :-) thistlewoodfarms/the-best-way-to-remove-wallpaper
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 03:17:07 +0000
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