House Painting and Wallpaper

House painting in Toronto 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.

For more information on home repairs, see our Do It Yourself Home Improvement Guide

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