My Own "Interesting" Job...

[the PAINTSMITH]

Not to detract from PWG's most excellent adventure in antique wallpaper application, but I'm about to dive into a paper related job myself...My own house...

We're closing this Thursday and after a lengthy two weekend moving schedule I get to start pulling paper from virtually every room of the house...The seller is a pro floor guy who obviously had a wall covering store on the side, because of 3300 sq ft of house, there isn't one room unaffected by wallpaper.

This ain't jes' ANY wallpaper either. This is room upon room of the cheap thin stuff that comes off in bits and pieces no more than an inch square...And all of it is 70s ick--every single bit...

Now a few rooms that have this wallpaper have also had that wallpaper painted over...This is one I've never had to deal with before. I've textured and painted over wallpaper at the customers' request, but never tried removing painted over wall covering...I'm not sure if it will make it easier or harder to remove, but with my luck I'll wind up re-rocking those walls...The striped wall before you is an example of this, wallpaper and border paper painted over with circus tent stripes...



I'm wondering if now wouldn't be a good time to invest in one of those steamers some of you guys seem so proud of...

I'll have to choose a "point A" and work my way out, but this may take some time, as the current economic crisis has me swamped with work this year, and the weather in this part of MN has held me up in spots...

I will update and apprise and complain about wallpaper removal as work progresses...

[BrushJockey]

Eric-  Defiantly give the "pat'd" brushjockey poly trick a go. Is the paint a flat? that will help.
 And also the sawed off sponge mop to apply water has helped me save alot of waving my arms around...

Rough sand it also might help. REAL Rough. ( 30g)

Steamers can be hell on sheetrock. I'd try everything else first.  Remember to let the water do the work.

IF by any chance they primed it right might not be as bad as you expect.

[Jared]

Defiantly give the "pat'd" brushjockey poly trick a go.

I tried this trick for the first time a year or 2 back, after reading BJ's original post describing the technique.  It works so well that I've not had to rent a steamer once since then.  Not that I remove wall coverings often, but when I do, this trick has always worked beautifully for me.

So thanks again, BJ!  One of the best trade secrets I've gleaned from this forum over the years.

[the PAINTSMITH]

OK, poly it is, though I'm still not sure of paper that's been painted over.

Hey BJ, you're only 3 hours away, wanna pop up for some fishing and a rib eye or two on the grill? Oh, and bring some .5 mil painter's plastic with ya...

[PainterJan]

What's  the "pat'd" brushjockey poly trick???

Is this a sticky or could someone post the link, I'd like to read this too, I don't have any wallpaper right now but ya never know...

Anyway good luck Eric. Looking forward to pictures.

[BrushJockey]

Jan- Check out Pg2 of Jakes Tip's N Tricks. And it really really works!

Eric- Haven't had a fishing lic in about 20, but maybe I could bring my cahon and handsonic...ya know, a little back porch swingin liquor pig kinda thing... ( Actual name of Mpls band, btw!)
 If I'm slow in the next couple a road trip might be fun....

[the PAINTSMITH]

Boy oh boy, I could easily see me turning this into a PainterForum Gathering! 

I got myself involved with a small three man combo recently, the percussionist, though a real drummer, uses congas and bongos and a large cardboard box for a kick...We play old 60s and 70s stuff, some blues, just for fun and the occasional Happy Hour gig...The drummer is moving to Texas and it dawns on me that you, BJ, play a similar setup, right?...So there would be more incentive than fishing and wallpaper for you...Heh heh heh...Where the heck is that evil horned devil icon...

a little back porch swingin liquor pig kinda thing

Heckova name for a band...How do they fit all that on a marquee?

[PainterJan]

Jan- Check out Pg2 of Jakes Tip's N Tricks. And it really really works!

Thanks very much!

[the PAINTSMITH]

My adventure continues; We moved in last weekend, but not before having to have half of the basement mitigated for "Virginia brown" mold (that's what the mold guy called it). A great chunk of the reason we bought this place was the basement, now a great chunk of that basement is gone.

We are going with the fraud angle. When inspecting the home, the seller conveniently had the walls piled ceiling high with boxes and junk, our inspector was legally restricted from moving the stuff and the seller wasn't there to ask...

The seller's disclosure denies the existance of mold, but the stuff was way obvious once the "storage" items were gone. Our attorney says we can basically make the seller rebuild us a new basement, as disclosure fraud is frowned upon by state law (maybe fed law too).

Developing...