Categories
Misc.

How To Remove Wallpaper in Six Easy Steps

Perhaps you need to take some wallpaper off a wall so that you can either paint the wall or replace the wallpaper with some other wall covering. Removing wallpaper can sometimes seem a bit challenging. The following six steps will give you an idea of how to take wallpaper off a wall quickly and with relative ease:
Room Preparation:

Getting the room ready is very important since this can be a fairly messy job and you also need to make sure that the wall is clear of certain kinds of obstructions. It is recommended that you put canvas or plastic drop cloths at the base of the walls so that paper and flakes of paint do not get scattered all over the floor. You will also need to make sure that you take all of the switch and socket plates off the wall. In view of the latter you should probably also go down to the basement breaker box and switch off power to the room, using extension cords and lights from other rooms or work lights if you need extra illumination.
wallpaperremovingScore the Wallpaper:

You will be taking the paper off with a wallpaper adhesive remover solution, so you need to cut small holes in the paper in order to allow this solution to take the underlying adhesive off the wall. This can be done with specialized wallpaper scorers which leave a series of tiny holes in the paper as the user runs it across the wall.
Prepare the Solution:

You can elect to use either a commercial wallpaper stripper or create a solution yourself. Water mixed with fabric softener often works as well as any store bought wallpaper stripper. The mix ratio here is one part water to one part fabric softener. Once you have mixed the solution you may want to put it in a spray bottle so that you can cover the scored wall with it evenly and completely. Use hot water and try not to allow it to cool too much before spraying it on the walls.
Apply Solution to Walls:

You should spray the wallpaper remover solution on the walls in sections that you feel you can strip in no more than 15 minutes. As noted above, the water should stay as hot possible so you might want to prepare relatively small amounts of solution at a time. After spraying, let the solution penetrate into the paper for several minutes before beginning to take the wallpaper off.
Strip off the Wallpaper:

Using a putty knife if necessary to get things started or work difficult spots, peel off the wallpaper in the largest strips possible. Try to begin at the bottom corners of wallpaper sections. Peel the wallpaper upwards if possible. Remove as much wallpaper as you can.
Wall Cleaning:

After you have peeled as much wallpaper as possible off the walls, wash the wall down to get the last bits of wallpaper and adhesive that remain. You can put roughly a teaspoon of dish detergent in some hot water and this will work well as a cleanser. Again it is important that the water be as hot as possible. Wipe and scrub the walls with this solution until the last pieces of wallpaper are off and the wall is free of adhesive. Finally, rinse the walls with fresh water.

If you follow thes steps your wallpaper removal job will be go smoothly and be fairly easy.

Categories
Misc.

Ten Things You Need To Know Before Doing Some Interior Painting

Painting the inside of your house is one of the easiest home improvement projects and can be one of the most fulfilling, changing the feel of the house drastically and making the new rooms reflects its purpose and its occupants. If you’re looking to do some interior painting, there are a few things you need to consider. Here are 10 things you’ll need to know before tackling this project.

add-some-interior-color-paintingKnow what type of finish you want. High-gloss paint doesn’t do much to hide wall imperfections, but it’s durable and easy to maintain. Flat paint covers up wall flaws but is harder to clean.
Consider if you want an accent wall. Painting one wall a separate but complementary color from the other three is a common technique to shake things up a little and keep the primary color from being overwhelming.
Figure out how much paint you need. Typically, a gallon of paint will cover 350 square feet. However, are you painting over unpainted drywall or darkly painted walls? If so, plan on painting two coats.
Know how to keep yourself safe. Short-term exposure to paint fumes can cause eye irritation, lung irritation, and headaches. Look for paint with low- or zero-VOC to avoid the toxic chemicals released in those fumes.
Get the right tools. For a typical room painting job, you’ll need painter’s tape, a drop cloth, sandpaper, a sash brush (for painting corners), a sash brush, a paint tray, and a paint roller with an extension pole and roller cover.
You can usually get small samples of colors. It’s hard to visualize what a color will look like on your wall. To avoid the cost of an entire gallon of paint, ask the manufacturer if you can get a sample can to help make up your mind.
Know where to get your paint. Avoid the cheaper stores, as cheap paint will often feel slightly sticky long after it has dried. Go to a home improvement store to check out their selection.
Plan what happens to the furniture. Are you going to cover everything with drop cloths or move everything out of the room and then back in when you’re done? Both require a little planning, so make sure you’ve decided.
Texturing can make a huge difference. You don’t have to be an artist to texture your walls. Achieve texturing effects with a specialty roller cover, such as the floppy roller, a bag roller, or a rag roller.
You may have to prep the walls before you start. If your wall has imperfections, it’s going to be harder to paint. Make the wall as flat as possible before you start.

Got all these things figured out? Then grab your tools, get to work, and transform your house by giving it the look you’ve always wanted!