tant, allows you to remove coverings later with-
S a f e T y a l e R T
LookiNg
out destroying the underlying drywall or plaster.
sharp
In the old days, a wall was sized, or brushed
shock hazards near electrical
This clever magnetic bracelet keeps a single-
with a glutinous mixture to improve adhesion.
outlets include steam, wet paste,
edge razor blade handy. A sharp blade is essen-
and metal tools.
But sizing is rarely done today because it’s chem-
so before
repairing, stripping, or covering
tial, especially if you’re working with prepasted
ically incompatible with many pastes, causing
walls and ceilings, shut off elec-
wallcoverings soaked in water. wetted paper will
them to crystallize, lump, and bubble, creating
tricity to circuits powering the
snag a dull blade and rip easily. Blades are far
voids where the covering is unattached. Instead,
areas you’ll be working on.
cheaper than wasted wallcovering.
professionals use one of the primer-sealers
Double-check that you’ve shut
described in “Primer-Sealers for Wallcoverings”
off those circuits by using a volt-
above left.
age tester on each fixture, switch,
Before you start prep work, remove furniture
and outlet (see “Testing Using a
from the room or move it to the center of the
voltage Tester” on p. 268 ).
room and cover it with a tarp. That will allow you
to work faster and be safer. And remove cover
plates from electrical outlets and switches, which
you’ll replace after you’ve papered. Speaking of
safety, always use a voltage tester to be sure elec-
trical power is off when you trim wallpaper
around an electrical outlet or switch. A single-
edge razor blade is recommended here, and you
wouldn’t want the blade to touch a live conduc-
tor. Also, set up ladders and scaffolds so they
don’t wobble. Wear a respirator when applying
chemicals, and clean up waste as you go.
542 chapter 19
PrePPing PainTeD sUrFaces
scarifying
Before you wallpaper painted surfaces, figure out
tooL
what kind of paint you’ve got and what shape it’s
Some pros recommend using a scari-
in. In general, oil-based paints are stable surfaces
fying tool, such as PaperTiger®, to
for wallcovering because they aren’t water-
soluble. Yet some primer-sealers can stabilize
perforate wallpaper so steam can
even latex paint. You could scrape off a small
penetrate. But these tools also can
patch of paint and have a paint store analyze it,
perforate drywall and scar the sur-
but two simple tests should suffice.
face. damage also can occur if you
use metal-edged scrapers. So use
hot towel test. Soak a hand towel in hot water,
tools like these only as a last resort
wring it well, and rub the paint vigorously for
20 to 30 seconds. If paint comes off on the towel,
when the paste is especially tena-
you’ve probably got latex. Alternatively, you can
cious, and use them with great care.
use duct tape to hold a moist sponge next to a
Instead, try steaming the wallpaper
painted surface for 15 minutes before removing
before scarifying or scraping it.
the sponge. If you see paint on the sponge,
it’s latex.
X-tape test. If paint didn’t come off on your
towel or sponge, it’s probably oil based. To see
Check edges and seams first: If they’re peeling
how well it’s bonded, use a razor blade to score a
or poorly adhered, strip the wallcovering. But if
1-in. X lightly in the surface (don’t cut into the
there are only a few isolated loose spots, use
drywall or plaster). Press masking tape over the
seam adhesive to reattach them. Or use a razor
X, and pull it off quickly: If there’s no paint on
blade to cut out the loose seams. Then fill voids
the tape, the paint is well adhered. If paint does
with spackling compound, allow it to dry, and
come off, scrape and sand it thoroughly before
sand lightly with 150-grit sandpaper.
proceeding.
Another potential problem is bleed-through
If the existing paint is a well-adhered glossy
from metallic wallpaper inks. To test, dampen a
or semigloss oil-based one, sand it lightly with
cloth with diluted ammonia (1 part ammonia to
fine sandpaper (150 grit to 180 grit), using a
4 parts water) and gently rub the old wallpaper. If
sanding block or an orbital sander. Then use a
inks change color (usually, they turn blue-green),
sponge mop, dampened with water, to remove
they’ll bleed. To prevent this, seal the old wallpa-
the sanding dust. Alternately, spray or wipe on
per with pigmented shellac or a similar stain
paint deglosser to dull glossy and semigloss
killer. Allow the sealer to dry thoroughly before
paint surfaces.
painting surfaces with a universal primer-sealer.
If the paint is a well-adhered flat oil-based
Otherwise, if existing wallpaper is well
paint, you can begin hanging wallcovering.
adhered, wipe it with a damp sponge, let it dry,
Simply rinse the surface with a mild detergent
and then paint surfaces with pigmented acrylic
solution to remove grime, rinse with clear water,
primer-sealer. Tint the primer-sealer to match the
and allow the surface to dry.
background color of the new wallcovering.
Latex paint should be prepared by scraping
lightly and sanding. You needn’t remove the
sTriPPing WallPaPer
entire coat of paint; just sand it enough so the
Strip existing wallcovering if it is tired or grimy
primer-sealer can bond. Avoid gouging or rip-
and can’t be washed, poorly adhered or damaged,
ping the surface underneath, especially if it’s
puckered or lumpy because there are too many
drywall. When you’re done sanding, wipe the
layers, water stained, moldy, strongly textured, or
wall clean and apply a coat of pigmented acrylic
you want to paint the walls. Before you apply new
primer-sealer.
wallcovering, repair and prime the finish surfaces.
Before stripping, reconnoiter. Peel up a corner
neW WallPaPer over olD
of the wallpaper in an out-of-the-way place. Then
You can wallpaper over an existing covering if:
determine whether the walls are plaster or dry-
It is not highly textured, as lincrusta,
wall. Plaster is harder and can survive a lot more
stringcloth, and bamboo are.
steaming and scraping than drywall. Next, test
how easily the wallpaper strips. Peelable and
There are no promi
nent seams.
strippable types should be relatively easy to
There are no more than two layers
remove if the wall was properly sealed before it
already on the wall.
was papered. But if surfaces were not sized or
The old wallpaper is well bonded.
Wallpapering
543
STRiPPinG WallcoveRinG
1. Stripping takes patience. Start at one end of a strip,
2. To remove the paper backing, spray it with a solution 3. applying steam will hasten the
pulling slowly and steadily so that the strip comes off in a of hot water and a wallpaper stripper such as DiF, which penetration of the stripper solution
single piece, if possible. This covering was peelable,
breaks down the paste. allow the solution to soak in three and soften the paste, making removal
meaning that its facing peeled off, but its paper backing
to five minutes. Because spraying is messy, place old
easier. on this wall, heat from a
remained stuck to the substrate.
towels or a tarp at the base of the wall.
nearby heat register had baked the
paste hard.
As noted earlier, turn off the electricity to areas
you’re stripping, and use a voltage tester to be
strippable Vs. PeeLABLe sure the power is off.
Strippable wallcovering can be dry stripped (no spraying or steaming needed); both
Use the least disruptive stripping method.
the facing and the backing material come off easily, with only a faint paste residue
Start stripping at the top or bottom of a strip.
left on the wall. Peelable coverings usually require spraying with a wallpaper-
Use a putty knife or a plastic scraper to lift an
edge. Then gently pull off the wallpaper in the
removing solution or steaming to remove the wallpaper facing. If the paper backing
largest strips possible. This takes patience.
is in good shape, it can stay on the wall as a wall liner for the new wallpaper.
If you can’t pull off the covering or if it begins
otherwise, remove it, too.
tearing into small pieces, try spraying a small
area with a wallpaper-removing solution such as
Zinsser’s DIF, which is also available as a gel that
you brush on. A time-tested alternative is 1 cup
primed first, you’re in for some work. Moreover,
vinegar per gallon of hot water; sponge on or
if the unsealed substrate is drywall, stripping the
apply using a spray bottle. Allow either solution
wallpaper may destroy the paper face of the dry-
to soak in for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to
wall. In theory, you can patch damaged drywall
pull off the paper. If this method doesn’t work,
with a coat of joint compound and then seal it
chances are the paper is vinyl coated and the
with a PVA primer, but removing the damaged
solution is not penetrating. In this case, try a
drywall or covering it with 1⁄4-in. drywall will
wallpaper steamer. Hold the steamer pan against
yield far better results.
the wallcovering long enough for the paste to
Stripping wallpaper is messy, no matter what
soften—usually a minute or two—then pull or
method you use. You’ll need painters’ tarps or old scrape the covering free.
towels to protect floors from stripping solutions,
If your wallcovering is peelable, chances are
water that forms as steam condenses, and sticky
its facing layer will strip off, leaving the paper
wallpaper. Canvas tarps, or even old towels, are
backing stuck to the wall. To remove it, spray or
better than plastic tarps, which tend to be slip-
sponge on wallpaper-removing solution, then
pery. Have trash bags handy for stripped paper.
apply steam. The backing should release easily;
544 chapter 19
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15
14
13
12
11
zzzzzz starting and Finishing Points
17
10
18
9
19
8
20
7
6
21
5
22
4
23
3
24
2
25
1
26
27
28
29
30
31 32
4. a plastic wallpaper smoother-scraper will scrape off
steamed paper backing without damaging drywall
Because a room’s final strip of wall-
beneath. When all paper is off, use a soft-bristle nylon
covering usually needs to be trimmed
scrub brush to gently remove paste residue.
narrower to fit, try to end a job where
the final strip is inconspicuous. Here the
job begins and ends in a corner.
otherwise, use a plastic scraper or smoother to
remove the backing. When the walls are stripped,
Mold and Mildew
wash them with a mild cleaning solution. Then
rinse and let them dry thoroughly before apply-
Mold is a discoloration caused by fungi growing on organic matter such as wood,
ing a primer-sealer. If paste lumps remain,
paper, or paste. Mildew is essentially the same, but it usually refers to fungi on paper
remove them with a nylon-bristle scrub brush.
or cloth. Without sufficient moisture and something to eat, mold (and mildew) can’t
grow. Mold can grow on the paper and adhesives in drywall, but, technically, mold
PrePPing raW
can’t grow on plaster because plaster is inorganic. if your plaster walls are moldy, the
DryWall or PlasTer
fungi are growing on grease, soap, dirt, or some other organic film on the plaster.
Newly installed drywall must be sealed before
if walls or ceilings are moldy, first alleviate the moisture. To determine the source,
you hang wallcoverings. Otherwise, the drywall’s
duct-tape a 1-ft.-sq. piece of aluminum foil to the wall. leave this up for a week. Upon
paper face will absorb paste, making it impossi-
removal, if there’s moisture on the back of the foil, the source is behind the walls. if
ble to remove the covering at a future date with-
the front of the foil is damp, there’s excessive moisture in the living space, which you
out damaging the drywall. To seal drywall, apply
might reduce by installing ventilator fans or a dehumidifier for starters.
a coat of universal primer-sealer, which is an
if the drywall or plaster is in good condition, clean off the mold by sponging on a
excellent base coat for papering and painting.
mild detergent solution. (although widely recommended, diluted bleach isn’t any more
Allow gypsum plaster to dry two to three
effective than a household cleaner.) The sponge should be damp, not wet. rinse with
weeks before applying either wallcovering or
clean water, and allow the surface to dry thoroughly. Then paint on a universal
paint. Uncured plaster contains alkali that is still
primer-sealer. if you’ll be wallpapering the room, use a mildew-resistant, kitchen-and-
warm, causing the paint and paste to bubble.
bath adhesive.
“Hot plaster” has a dull appearance, whereas
cured plaster has a slight sheen. Curing time var-
if mold or water stains are widespread and the drywall has deteriorated, there may
ies, but keeping the house warm will hasten it.
be mold in the walls. remove a section of drywall to be sure. if the framing is moldy, it
Cured plaster can also be coated with universal
may need to be replaced—a big job and one worth discussing with a mold-abatement
primer-sealer. (By the way, old lime plaster,
specialist, especially if family members have asthma or chronic respiratory problems
which was used until the early 1900s, took a
(for more, see chapter 14).
year to cure.)
Wallpapering
545
Before hanging wallcovering, check the trim for plumb
and level. For example, if the crown molding isn’t level,
you may need to raise or lower the wallpaper strips so
molding doesn’t chop off the top of a prominent pattern.
To determine exactly where seams will occur, mark off
after determining your starting point, draw a plumb line
intervals the same width as your wallpaper.
to indicate the leading edge of the first strip of
wallcovering.
546 chapter 19
Laying Out the Work
Before ordering materials, check that walls are
plumb and woodwork is plumb and level. Use a
zzzzzz room Focal Points
long, straight board or a 4-ft. spirit level to check
PICTURE WINDOW
walls for bumps or dips, and mark them with a
Centerline
pencil so you can spot them easily later. You can
hang almost any wallcovering type or pattern,
but if door or window casings are markedly out
of plumb, small patterns make this less obvious
than large, loud patterns.
sTarTing anD FinisHing PoinTs
To decide where to hang the first strip, figure out
where you want to end. The last strip of wall cov-
ering almost always needs to be cut to fit, dis-
rupting the strip’s full-width pattern. So, avoid
hanging the last strip where it will be conspicuous.
A common place to begin is one side of a
main doorway. There, you won’t notice a
Wallcovering
narrower strip when you enter the room. And
when you leave the room, you’ll usually be look-
PAIRED WINDOWS
Centerline
ing through the doorway. The last piece is often a
Renovation 4th Edition Page 126