At V.I.P. Services, we’ve been busy the past few years eliminating dated wallpaper from the last decade. Many of my clients had wallpaper in the Kitchen and Master Bath, but it soon became dated. We hang very little wallpaper today for this same reason; it gets dated so quickly and is costly to remove and/or replace.
Fixing Wallpaper and Texture Problems
Removal Issues
In most homes, the wallpaper was installed by the builder. As most people are aware, builder’s don’t usually take the time, and correct steps that most remodelers include. With wallpaper, they do not normally prepare the walls prior to the wallpaper installation by applying “sizing” or primer to the wallboard. This sizing seals the paper coating of the wallboard, and allows for easy removal of the wallpaper at a later date. When this is not done, the wallpaper is essentially glued to the paper surface of the wallboard. This makes it very difficult to remove even when using strippers or heat guns. It is removed in small 6” x 6” pieces in most cases, by manual wetting and scrapping. This is a very time consuming process, and also does damage to the paper wallboard surface which needs to be repaired so that a smooth surface is available for texture. See example below.
Other Alternatives
If your wallpaper was properly installed, with sizing, it can easily be removed in a few hours. Wallpaper will also remove cleanly from previously painted or primed surfaces, and from the sheetrock joints (where joint compound covers the paper surface). If this is not the case, we usually recommend sealing the wallpaper with a special Shellac-based primer that we apply by roller. We cut and remove any peeling or torn areas of wallpaper, and seal the edges also. We then cover the seams of the wallpaper with joint-compound, and caulk all the edges. The walls are then ready for Texture. One note: If your wallpaper is not smooth, but has an embossed texture in the paper itself, we would apply a thin coat of joint-compound to cover this existing texture.
Texture Choices
Other than the typical sprayed textures (knock-down, splatter-drag, and orange-peel), Skip-trowel hand-textures are very popular, and can be provided in a variety of styles. We can often apply hand-textures for a slightly higher cost and provide a much more custom upgraded look. We provide our clients with 3-4 samples of the hand-texture, and work with them to ensure that the final product matches their expectation. We then copy that sample through the space. A faux finish, or antique-glaze can also be applied to hand-textured walls, to enhance the texture and custom look.
Once complete, this is a guaranteed process, and will not peel or release due to humidity or age. This is mainly due to the fact that the wallpaper was adhered so securely when installed, and is also sealed, and covered with texture, 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint. After over 10 years in business, we’ve never had a client call us with any issues.
See our portfolio for some examples of textures and faux finishes at VIPservices4U.com, or feel free to call us if you have any questions about this process and would like to schedule an appointment at (972) 839-9920.