OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

CathyB Posted: Mar 10, 2004 08:01 PM

OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

It's this really old wallpaper that I think is superglued on. It's even on the ceiling!

It has taken me about 2 hours to remove a one foot wide section from the floor to ceiling in the kitchen. I feel such a sense of accomplishment!

But I'm learning that the more you soak the paper the easier it is to remove.

kmcwed Posted: Mar 10, 2004 08:54 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Buttafli1277 Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:12 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I will never use wallpaper due to that fact. When I bought my house they had a wallpaper border in one of the rooms. I was such a pain to take off. It is so much easier to paint!

CathyB Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:55 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I hear ya. I told my mom the same thing tonight. She laughed and said I'll change my mind, but I don't think so.

I was so proud of myself, and then DH walked in and said that at the rate I'm going the kitchen will be stripped by the time we're ready to retire and sell the house.

coselige Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:56 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I am convinced it is made in hell

So true. I despise removing wallpaper, especially the really thick old kind that the previous owner of my house seemed to love.

We broke down and bought a steamer at Home Depot. It was not that expensive and IMO so worth the time saved.Good luck

Jo Ann Posted: Mar 11, 2004 01:03 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I havnt done it in a while but there is this stuff I think it is called DIF or maybe DIP you can get it from Homedepot get a few bottles of it and dont go by the instructions you need to more or less use double the chemical they tell you to use and get the hottest water possible to mix it in. Put on a thick pair of gloves and with a sponge get the wall paper wet. Whatever is in that chemical will eat through the paper and losen the glue up.

I forgot to mention they sell this tool that scores the wallpaper so the chemical mixture can get in. It makes like tiny pin holes all over the paper.

Also you can use a clothing steamer if you have one. Have fun doing it I think this has to be the worst thing in the world to do.

I helped my parents remove 3 layers of wallpaper from their living room and dining room only to find out they had terminte damage and all the sheetrock needed to be replaced long with some beams. What a waste of time and engery.

Good Luck though

ss2002 Posted: Mar 11, 2004 09:00 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I've also heard that fabric softener mixed with hot water will do the job (score the paper first with a paper tiger). Not sure of the ratio of softener to water, though.

My job this weekend is to remove a border. Now I'm worried

stacedz Posted: Mar 11, 2004 09:01 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Posted by kmcwed

ACK!!!

There is nothing I despise more on earth than stripping wallpaper.

I have vowed that I will never EVER put it up on my walls. EVER.

I'm convinced it's made in hell.

I couldn't agree more!

I think anyone who ever had to REMOVE that stuff once would NEVER put it on their walls!

Jan05Bride Posted: Mar 11, 2004 09:03 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

rent a steamer machine from Home Depot, it REALLY helps in the proccess

Irishbride Posted: Mar 11, 2004 09:31 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

We just ripped down the wall paper in our bedroom over the weekend. I used fabric softener with warm water. It works really well. We used the same method for all of our rooms.

I will never ever use wall paper in my house. I cant stand the stuff.

Fran M Posted: Mar 11, 2004 11:32 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I cant wait to get my zebra pop wallpaper down in my kitchen. Thanks for the how to suggestions

kmcwed Posted: Mar 11, 2004 11:58 AM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Shamee Posted: Mar 11, 2004 02:45 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Regular vinegar (diluted) in a spray bottle works wonders too (but smells like hell).

JENHOS Posted: Mar 11, 2004 03:03 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Pay someone. I couldn't have imagined how long it would have taken us to get it down and had the walls look normal after.

Wallpaper should be illegal!!!

Jan05Bride Posted: Mar 11, 2004 03:27 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

I just want to say that after all the scrapping and peeling the wallpaper, we had to pay someone to come in and skimcoat (thin layer of plaster/joint compound) the walls because they were destroyed underneath.
If we would have known, we would have hired him right off the bat and had him skimcoat OVER the wallpaper and saved ourselves the aggrevation.

JENHOS Posted: Mar 11, 2004 03:32 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

Our painter removed the wallapaper then sanded the walls back to normal. You can't even tell there was paper on them. I would never put anything over the wallpaper!!!

lilqtny Posted: Mar 17, 2004 09:44 PM

Re: OMG! What a PITA removing wallpaper is!!!!

sorry for your trouble, but i love that you know PITA, I never heard anyone use that until my fiance and his friends used it in front of me, they are Marines and in the South and I thought it was a Southern thing!