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| Removing Old Wallpaper |
While it is possible to paper right over existing wallpaper, please realize that your newly-papered walls will not have a sleek, smooth appearance if there are several old layers of wallpaper underneath. Every seam and bump will show through. If the old wallpaper is loose anywhere, or if there are several old layers of wallpaper, you probably need to remove it all. Sometimes, especially if the old wallpaper is a heavy vinyl, you get lucky and can strip the dry wallpaper off by loosening from the ceiling and pulling gently downward. In my experience, however, removing several layers of wallpaper can be a real chore. You can rent a wallpaper steamer from your wallpaper store and use a paint scraper to scrape away the old wallpaper. If the old paper isn’t very porous, you may have to roughen it up or etch the surface so that the hot steam can penetrate adequately. This can be hot, tedious work, but is so rewarding when you see the naked walls ready for your designing touch. Chemical wallpaper strippers are also available at wallpapering supply stores. Wallpapering over wood paneling: The previous owners of our home were sorely lacking in creativity. A cheap wood paneling covered one kitchen wall and a thickly textured paneling ran halfway up the family room walls. 'Twas not my idea of "pretty". I wanted to lighten up both rooms. The family room took 2 coats of stainkiller and 3 thick coats of paint to camouflage that oppressively dark, textured paneling. But my heart was set on light, airy wallpaper for the kitchen. When we wallpapered the kitchen, we did not want to rip off the paneling for fear that a more costly remodeling job might lie beneath. But three beautifully-papered walls with a fourth unsightly wall was simply not the kitchen of my dreams. So we explored the possibility of wallpapering right over the wood paneling. Luckily the research informed me that wood paneling has usually been stained or treated, and would soon bleed through my new wallpaper. So let me pass along this simple little secret for papering over paneling. You’ll need to paint the paneling thoroughly with a stain-preventing primer/sealer. Then, if there are grooves in the paneling, fill them with spackling and let it dry thoroughly. And lastly, apply a wallpaper liner over the paneling to smooth out the grooves. |