Well, it really isn't that dramatic. I'm prepping the foyer for 'paint over wallpaper'.
I have been mulling this around for years actually. Strip or paint over. Of course there are arguments both pro and con, all reasonable, but in my opinion I've got the wallpaper that simply won't come off without ruining the wall.
We put the paper up ten years ago. Well, actually Bob put it up. It is stuck for life. Yes, the walls were sized, the seams flawless but it is wearing on my nerves. Why, because this particular area is too dark.
On the other hand I may just want to do this to prove that it can be done. I read a pros opinion and he says that by following all the many steps to the letter you will have a professional looking result. That sure beats all the gloom and doom guys. I'm going into this with that attitude...positive...and you will see the results.
Believe me..when he said it is alot of steps,there are alot of steps. Including my favorite product Bin. This will again be a stinky sticky project. It will also include spackling the seams, sanding them. Of course the initial step will be to sponge the walls down.
This has been of concern to me. It is so humid...will they dry? This is a summer project since we need ventilation for the stinky part. I'm doing the test strip today...that will tell the whole tale.
I'm not unfamiliar with stripping....lordy, I did it to an upstairs bedroom, for an entire summer. The pieces came off in dime sized portions. No, I will not do that again. Another motivation for painting don't you agree?
More Shore tomorrow. Smile at someone...you will both feel better. RD
2 comments:
I bought a 75 year old house in Winston-Salem, NC which had been owned by a painter as in house painter. I don't think he was very good at it. But he was worse at wallpaper. And he was fond of layer after layer of paint and paper.
After I had stripped off as many as 5 layers of paper compounded with paint I think I increased the size of the house by at least 20%. Thankfully it was over slat and plaster and not sheet rock.
He also glued down carpet onto tile on top of oak floors. it was a real adventure owning that place
You are very brave - I don't think I have ever lived in a house that had wallpaper. I lie. My parents bought a four hundred year old cottage in the English countryside and I seem to remember my father holding a scraper in his hands for months. And that was just the dining room! My mother refused to go in there!!
By the time he had finished, it was a beautiful dining room. He had exposed the original wooden beams which had been painted in gloss white - many times. Also got rid of layers and layers of wallpaper and exposed the original fire place. There was a secret panel by the fire place which led into a cubby hole where the Catholic priest used to hide in the days when Catholicism was not allowed in England - after Henry VIIIth took of the church!
Professionals came in to do part of the remainder of the cottage as mother couldn't take any more.
She had to go through it all again when they bought a house in Cyprus. Father was 'into' old buildings so when he saw this 'barn' where the Greek Orthodox priest lived upstairs and the donkey lived downstairs, he had to have it!! when she first saw it, she walked away and didn't speak to him for days!!
It ended up to be the most beautiful home, with wrought iron spiral staircases, roof garden, fabulous garden in which they built a self contained annexe for visitors (because suddenly they had many more friends & they had a lot to begin with), veranda, patio etc...
My mother sold it when my father died which was the worst thing she could have done.
How did you manage to get this background?? E mail me please!
Good luck with the prepping - rather you than me!
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