Wallpaper Joy
I worked for a few hours on two fairly small pieces of wallpaper today. Then, right when I had finished that six square feet or so, I ran out of the spray-on stripper. I expected this, and was going to use this opportunity to try another stripping method. I didn’t have all the stuff I needed for E.P.’s method, so I tried what I had on hand: The industrial-strength, mix-it-yourself variety of the same brand of stripper I was using in the spray bottles (Dif, from Zissner). The application method for this stripper is slightly different than the spray-on stripper. For the spray-on, first one scores the wallpaper to get some penetration through the paper into the adhesive layers. Zissner has a little tool to do this with two blades that spin when one runs it across the paper. I use this tool–it’s easy. The second step for the spray-on is to spray on the stripper. Then one waits about 10-15 minutes, then one is supposed to be able to strip the paper off cleanly. One must work slowly using the spray-on stripper, since it dries-out quickly. For what really happens, read the previous post. 🙂
The application method for the mixed stripper still requires scoring the wallpaper, but application is done with a paint roller over a larger area (as much as one is going to strip in one work session). The stripper is applied once, then one waits 15-20 minutes. Then one applies the stripper again, and waits another 15 minutes or so. Finally, one applies stripper again over a smaller area, then strips that area, moving along until the entire larger area is stripped.
My hopes were not high. The first few scrapes told me that it was going to be yet another uphill battle. Then, suddenly, the scraper just started going and didn’t stop. Sure, there were some tough spots that needed a little bit of extra persuasion, but the rest of the stripping process went quite quickly. Those same few hours that it took me to strip those six square feet? I stripped about 30 square feet in the same time. Woo hoo!
Unfortunately, while stripping part of another wall, I discovered a bit of a problem. There was apparently a large repair or patch done to the wall next to the big window. For whatever reason, this patch area looks like it is just the rough coat, and there is no skim coat. That means that I’m going to be learning how to do a skim coat really fast. And, of course, it can’t be on an easy section of the wall–it has to be against trim work. Argh. Well, my Dzadza (I have no idea how to spell that–Polish for grandfather) knew how to do all this stuff. Hopefully he’ll be looking down on me while I make a mess of our wall.
Well, that’s all the fun for tonight. I’m going to relax with some iced tea (thanks mom!), then it’s off to bed.
jonathan
