Need some input about wallpapering over wallpaper!
by
Carol C
+13
I have a wallpapered room, I took one wall down and it took me 15 hours to get one wall off. I think wallpapering over wallpaper is my only option (textured paintable wallpaper is what I am thinking of doing.
15 answers
-
15 hours sound a bit long...but not entirely out of the norm. I have spent a good chunk of time cleaning of details like that before.
KMS Woodworks
on Oct 26, 2012
-
If you properly prepped the walls, Used a paper tiger, mixed up the correct chemicals and took your time wetting the walls, you should have not spent that much time removing or prepping the walls as you say. I am not a big proponent of paper over paper. As some day you may want it all off and it will end up being even harder. Also textured paintable paper has a few draw backs. Over time the paper seams begin to reveal themselves. If the room has a tendency to become damp, perhaps an adjoining room from the kitchen perhaps? This moisture will have a tendency to lift the edges of the new paper as well. Perhaps if you explain how you were removing the existing paper and what issues it was that made it take so long, we can offer some advice to make it go faster and with better results. Ideally if your doing it correctly, the paper should come off much like it did when it went up. Simply pull right down. If its not doing that, then your doing something wrong.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Oct 26, 2012
-
I@Woodbridge Environmental. First I scored the wallpaper. Sprayed Diff all over the scored wallpaper and the paper came off in tiny, tiny pieces. Then I rented a steamer and that did nothing, so I went back to spraying diff and pulling of in tiny, tiny pieces, hence the 15 hours. Also, I have painted texture in another property I own and it's been up for years and there is no seam reveal.
Carol C
on Oct 26, 2012
-
Steamers are a waste of time. They work but quickly the paste once opened up to the air hardens quickly making the job harder. if you scored the paper enough and you used super hot water with the Diff, and waited. then sprayed again and waited some more, eventually the paper should begin to peel off on its own. If you did not wait enough time, and did not keep the wall wet enough then that could have been the issue. More times then not, people begin to rush this part and the results end up being little pieces of paper coming off and not larger sheets as it should. The only other reason if you did take your time for the paper not coming off is that the walls were not painted before the paper was put on. When this occurs the paste soaks into the paper layer of the wall and you end up destroying the wall board while taking off the wall paper. It is important that you score the paper well, Just enough to allow the thin paper backing to show up under the top surface pattern area of the paper being removed. To deep and you being to score the wall board. When we do this type of job, we put down tons of old towels to catch the run off, use a garden sprayer with almost boiling water mixed with paper removal chemicals, Diff is one of the many that you can use. We spray a section of about six feet wide, then score the next six. Spray that along with the first section. We then score another six feet, then spray and go over the rest already done again. By the time we get all the way around the wall, we test the first section for removal. If its peeling nicely we being that phase. IF not we spray all the walls again and we keep repeating this process as we work around the room. The trick is to use lots of water on the walls. It must stay wet. If it dries ever so slightly the paper will begin to rip and tear. The next trick is not to move to quickly. as each section is removed, we, using a clean sponge and more removal chemical we wash the wall down to remove any left over paste. We sometimes use a plastic, not metal putty knife to scrape the walls clean were heavy sections of past remain. All the while leaving the rest of the paper on the wall. The reason why, is that once the paste is open to the air, it begins to dry out. As it does this it hardens and becomes quite difficult to remove from the wall resulting in many hours of prep before painting. Take your time in getting the walls wet, It may seem like it is taking forever, but as you already know, if it does not come off easy it takes a long time to get it right. Textured paper can hide a lot of sins. But if there is the slightest chance that you can remove the old paper your much better off.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Oct 26, 2012
-
15 hours was taking my time, much wetting many times....dif....hot water.....steamer..... Anybody else have a comment about wallpapering over wallpaper?
Carol C
on Oct 26, 2012
-
As long as the remaining wall paper is only 1 layer thick, intact and stuck well I don't see why you can't paper over it. I would be sure to use wallpaper paste and not trust the glue already on the wallpaper though. Best of luck to you.
Dee W
on Oct 26, 2012
-
There is no reason why you cannot paper over the old stuff, but if there is any chance to remove that is the best method to use. Based upon what Carol C has stated, it sounds as though she has pretty much covered all of my suggestions. The only other explanation to her difficulty in this removal is that the paper was not glued on with standard wall paper glue, or the wall board that the paper was attached to was not properly sealed prior to the paper being installed. Both would explain the difficulty that she is experiencing. Using the textured paper will work fine, But as Dee W stated, as long as the old is stuck on real good, and by the sound of it it is! Keep us posted on your project Carol and how you make out. Good luck, not a fun job at all.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Oct 27, 2012
-
PLEASE do yourself a favor and get that wallpaper off while you are young and your hands are strong! We worked for days taking off paper, cleaning the walls and patcing on a sort of small dining room with only paper on the top half. We were fortunate the kitchen had only a small amount of paper. If you do not slay this dragon now, he will only come back stronger when you are older and have to face him with arthritic hands!
Jeanette S
on Oct 27, 2012
-
@ Jeanette.....I am not young and that is why I am thinking of this as an alternative to stripping it all off. I wil probably be six feet under when this becomes a problem again. Thanks for your input and thank you Woodbridge Environmental also.
Carol C
on Oct 27, 2012
-
Thanks everybody for your comments. I think I am going to do what Dee W suggested which is what I had planned to do and see what happens. Again, thanks everybody!
Carol C
on Oct 31, 2012
-
Good Luck Carol!
Dee W
on Oct 31, 2012
-
The problem with removing the paper is due to a lack of surface preperation prior to the paper being installed. I f the paper will not remove,apply a coat of oil primer.Oil is not compatable with moisture so should not reactavate the old adhesive. Allow the primer to cure for about 48 HRS. and then put on a coat of shields primer . Use paste when putting on the new paper. Tim McLaughlin PerfectMatchInteriors.com
Tim McLaughlin
on Mar 23, 2013
-
Well, I papered over paper. I used paintable textured wallpaper. It turned out wonderful. There were some spots where my seems were a little out of square and overlapped. The paint covered in beautifully. It turned out much better than I had imagined and looks great. Thanks everybody for your input.
Carol C
on Mar 23, 2013
-
You are always welcome to visit my web sight @ PerfectMatchInteriors.com
Tim McLaughlin
on Mar 25, 2013
-
@Carol C If you decide to take off that wallpaper in the future, use Piranha spray. You can get it at Home Depot or Sherwin Williams stores. It dissolves the paper and literally peels right off the wall!
Cynthia
on Jan 23, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
