Home projects- removing wallpaper

[Mr Nice Guy]

Well, after removing wall paper in one room without a steamer, and removing wall paper in another room with a steamer, I have easily concluded that the steamer is the way to go.

Home depot rents them for $25 (per day I think,) and sells them for $50.

I know wallpaper is rare these days(thank you Lord,) but should you come into contact with it.....steam that mother$^%*#()% into oblivion!

[frugalgirl]

Wallpaper removal has been the single most painful DIY project in our house. We've removed it in 5 rooms plus our basement. (Anyone for gold wallpaper with large black birds in headdresses?) The biggest determining factor in how well it came off was in how the wall was prepped before it was put on. Even the steamer did not help in the rooms where it was put onto virgin drywall.

I feel your pain and am glad the steamer did the trick! We have one more room to go: the laundry room. For now, I can live with cream wallpaper with thin blue and red stripes and tiny red hearts.

[Mr Nice Guy]

Originally Posted by CharlieJohn

there is a liquid that removes it easy. you can get it at home depot.

[ktmarvels]

Originally Posted by frugalgirl

Wallpaper removal has been the single most painful DIY project in our house. We've removed it in 5 rooms plus our basement. (Anyone for gold wallpaper with large black birds in headdresses?) The biggest determining factor in how well it came off was in how the wall was prepped before it was put on. Even the steamer did not help in the rooms where it was put onto virgin drywall.

I feel your pain and am glad the steamer did the trick! We have one more room to go: the laundry room. For now, I can live with cream wallpaper with thin blue and red stripes and tiny red hearts.

I second these sentiments! I decided to remove the wallpaper in one of our bathrooms of the old house and rather than stopping once I realized the wallpaper was applied directly to the drywall, I removed all of it and ended up having to prep THE ENTIRE BATHROOM. Lesson learned. If it's that big of a pain to remove the wallpaper, just paint over it!

[jerrycates]

I have heard of wallpaper sentiments. I haven't used wall paper much I think... yes, I haven't. We usually use paint rather. I grew up in a painted house so I just followed what I got used to. But maybe I should try (?)

[cschin4]

Wallpaper will probably make a comeback. But, the problem is that when you want to change it, it is a pain to do so, can damage the underlying wall and make for a big mess. In old houses, you will find layers upon layers of wallpaper glued over one another. I have an old house so i found some quite interesting wallpapers from bygone years underneath. If you have a set style and know what you want, it is quite lovely. But, i tend to flip flop around with different styles.

[ESPwaterproducts]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice Guy

Well, after removing wall paper in one room without a steamer, and removing wall paper in another room with a steamer, I have easily concluded that the steamer is the way to go.

Home depot rents them for $25 (per day I think,) and sells them for $50.

I know wallpaper is rare these days(thank you Lord,) but should you come into contact with it.....steam that mother$^%*#()% into oblivion!

I remember helping my parents remove wallpaper once when I was younger. What a chore! A steamer would have been nice... Live and learn, I guess.

[PatientSaver]

Well, wallpaper serves a purpose when the condition of your walls is really poor. It can cover up a lot of imperfections. The best thing is when you discover several layers of wallpaper that have been painted over. I started rewallpapering my bathroom over 2 years ago and i haven't finished yet. It's now a running joke in my family.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I rented a steamer to remove wallpaper in two rooms. The job was easy--like cutting butter! We did not have to scrape, but just started steaming at the top and the paper rolled off in entire strips. I think it only took 25 minutes for two rooms. Cool, huh? The difference might have been that my walls are plaster that is as hard as cement. If I wanted wallpaper in this house, I would not hesitate.

By the way, I regularly read an interior decorating forum. It seems wallpaper is starting to come back into wider use, however, those wallpaper borders are not being used much at all.

[dawnwes]

I bought a steamer used from a friend of a friend. It was a lifesaver!