House painting and wallpaper are huge
items for home owners. The best way to remove
wallpaper is through the following 2 step
method. There are plenty of suggested methods,
including scoring the wall with a tool, and
using a gel type solution to remove the wall
paper. While these do work, the scoring tool
will leave holes in your drywall, which will
then require patchwork to fill in. The best way
to remove wallpaper is by using the following 2
tools: a steamer and vinegar. This will get you
started with your
house
painting and wallpaper.
Wallpaper is
applied to the wall by using an adhesive, and
the adhesive glues the paper to the wall. This
is where the steamer will come is to use. You
can get a steamer to rent from any of the local
hardware stores, and even the grocery stores. I
would rent if for the entire weekend, or at
least 2 or 3 days to ensure you have it long
enough.
To use the steamer, just start at the top of
the wall where the wallpaper is. Apply the
steamer directly to the wallpaper and hold there
for about 5-10 seconds. The duration the steamer
is on the wallpaper will depend on how much
adhesive were uses initially. It can also depend
on how old the wallpaper is, as well as if there
are 2 layers of wallpaper to go through. Through
trial and error, you will be able to find the
right amount of time the steamer needs to be
there.
What the steamer is actually doing is putting
the hot steam through the wallpaper into the
adhesive. When this hot steam mixes with the
adhesive, it will begin to break up, or soften
the glue, and allow the paper to be peeled from
the wall. But, in this process, what happens is
the glue is left behind on the walls. You really
do not want to put the steamer directly on the
wall, as you will start to peel the paint, or
even bubble the paint up. This is where the
vinegar comes into use.
To use the vinegar, mix the vinegar with
water at a ration of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts
of water. Get a bucket of warm water and a rag
or sponge. Spray the vinegar and water mixture
onto the walls, and wait a couple of minutes.
This vinegar mixture will soak into the glue,
and make it wet again, and easy for removal. Use
the rag in the warm water to wipe off the glue.
Continue like this until all of the glue is
removed. You will need to change out the buckets
of water periodically. Once you are done, and
the walls are dry, double check the work. There
are likely spots which will need to be washed
again.
This 2 part method has proven to be the best
method for removing wallpaper for me. This
method will likely be the least expensive as
well, as the only real cost is for the steamer.
If you try one of the other methods, and you
mess up your drywall, you will need to fix, or
even replace this drywall. You do not want any
part of this, as this will make much more work.
Try the steamer and the vinegar mixture, and you
will agree it is the best method getting started
with house painting and wallpaper.
If you are looking for a Toronto interior painter,
please feel free to submit your project to one
of our painting companies posted on the left.
For more information on home
repairs, see our
Do It Yourself Home
Improvement Guide
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Baker
