23 Sep Steaming Away Old Wallpaper
At first mention, the word “wallpaper” is enough to make most people cringe. Memories of nauseating florals and bold stripes come flooding back, and the dizzying thought of putting it up or pulling it down is enough to make your head spin.
But technological advances with wallpaper and a renewed focus by artisans have breathed new life into the idea of covering your wall like a Christmas present. Graphic designers, photographers and those trained in the fine arts are lending their craft to wallpaper design, including using unconventional materials like metal, leather and even Swarovski crystals.
Wallpaper is a great way to add dimension, texture and sheen to a room, but if you’re cursed with existing wallpaper, you are probably looking for advice on how to get the old stuff down. Steaming away old wallpaper is one of the easiest ways to tackle this project, and you can usually rent a steamer from tool-equipment rental companies. It’s a low-cost project that can clear your canvas for something modern and new. Here’s what you need!
Materials and Tools:
- safety glasses
- wallpaper steamer
- plastic scrapers
- spackle
- sandpaper
Steps:
- Remove medicine cabinets, towel bars and light fixtures from the wall.
- As a precaution, turn off power at the breaker box for the room where you’re working.
- Prep the steamer as per the manufacturer’s instructions – filling it with water, plugging it in and allowing it to warm up.
- Put on gloves and safety glasses and start steaming. Hold the steamer in place about 30 to 40 seconds to make sure the steam is penetrating through the glue.
- Steam a section at a time and pull and scrape off the wallpaper as you go.
- Switch to a smaller attachment to get into tight spaces.
- Give the walls a day to dry then come back and fill holes and smooth rough areas.
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