A previous owner of our home decided to give the rooms some character by covering each wall with vividly colored wallpaper in bold geometric patterns. I’m not sure which character they were going for, but I think they covered all of them at once. Layered on top of that phantasmic assortment of paper lays a rainbow of paint spanning the time of goldenrod to the age of burgundy. Sure, most people would be content rolling on yet another layer of paint in their choice of color. However, each morning, I saw things in the walls staring at me as the sun came up. I couldn’t paint them. I had to eradicate them. The following describes how I removed wallpaper with water.
What Lived Beneath the Walls
You see, the layers of paint over the paper enhanced and highlighted every seam, line, glue failure, and drywall goof. When light hits those things the right way, they all call out, “Look at us, we are here to distract you from all your other improvements in this room.” Ever heard them? No? Just me? That’s o.k. I can live with that. But I won’t live with these disconcerting flaws! I had to get down to bare walls to get rid of them. So I did.
Removing Layers of Old Wallpaper With Water
First of all, I must confess this is not a job for the faint of heart. But, if you are determined, and have a clothing steamer, you will prevail!
Fill your steamer up with water and grab a scraper or drywall knife. I found the best method is to hold the steamer a few inches from the wall and let it do its thing as you slowly move it downward. I completed small one-foot-square sections at a time. Then I scraped off all the paint and wallpaper in one swoop using the flat edge of a drywall knife. The wonderful thing about this process is the steam releases the paper glue. Everything on top of the paper comes right off. There is no sanding, stripping, or stinky store-bought chemical remover to deal with.
My Results From Removing Wallpaper with Water
There were a few stubborn areas I had to steam more than once. Some unevenly drywalled areas got buggered up a bit. But all in all, it was a huge success. After everything came down, I was left with fairly smooth drywall. I went ahead and skim coated the walls with a bit of drywall compound and let it set for good measure. I then used a wet sanding sponge to make the walls smooth as a baby’s bum. Now, when the sun rises in the morning, there is a relaxing atmosphere as the sun gently makes its way across our satin walls.
I will be uploading a more detailed video tutorial of removing wallpaper and layers of paint with water on the Sawdust and Cornbread Youtube channel. Be sure to bookmark this page for more helpful home improvement ideas. Until next time, don’t spend your time looking around for something you want that can’t be found. Find it within the walls of your home and make what you want to happen, happen.
~Lora Lea
