Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm moving into my new place. There is some gold flocked wallpaper in one roof and some red flocked in another. I wonder if the lady from whom I purchased the house ran a bordello-ahhh, if the wallpaper could talk. The paper has been put up with a glue. I am wondering is renting a steamer still the way to go?

You can buy a cheaper model at a Home center. You can also prep the wall paper by scoring it with a special tool and applying wall paper removal pre treatment product also available from a home center. Then you just have to put in your time with a spatula and the steamer.

Get the scoring tool from the home center. It's a small roller with lots of tiny blades and you just roll it over and over the paper. Then you spray on a special wall paper remover that softens the glue. The tiny slices allow the spray to get in there and soften the glue. Worked like a charm for me.
My folks almost burnt down the house with a industrial wall paper steamer so I'm a little leary of those.

It depends on the age of the paper and what was used as or instead of paste. We removed paper just fine by using just the special enzymatic removal liquid. Others have told me horror stories about some wallpapers that were glued (not pasted) on and defied everything. You definitely want to go slow and avoid damaging the wallboard/drywall that could require a lot of work patching and sanding. Unfortunately, it's not a fun job no matter what you use.

Thanks so much guys.

I just ended up sanding off a border in our bathroom. Fortunately, it was a small room. The glue would feed mold, but you couldn't soak it off with the wallpaper glue removers or anything else for that matter. Such a lovely combination. Be careful if you use any of those borders to get a reputable brand that says its glue will not support mold.

We use a garden type pump sprayer filled with hot water and a couple of cups of vinegar. Thoroughly wet the wallpaper and let the water soak in for a few minutes then scrape off with a putty knife. We use this method in our rentals.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I'm with Tim. Vinegar does the trick.

[QUOTE=bob J] I'm moving into my new place. There is some gold flocked wallpaper in one roof and some red flocked in another. I wonder if the lady from whom I purchased the house ran a bordello-ahhh, if the wallpaper could talk. The paper has been put up with a glue. I am wondering is renting a steamer still the way to go?[/QUOTE]

Don't feel too bad. A visitor to our current house referred to the downstairs bathroom as decorated in the style of "Early Steak & Ale" . The master bath was lime green and lemon yellow! Needless to say, things have changed.

Steve Brown

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] Get the scoring tool from the home center. It's a small roller with lots of tiny blades and you just roll it over and over the paper. Then you spray on a special wall paper remover that softens the glue. The tiny slices allow the spray to get in there and soften the glue. Worked like a charm for me.
My folks almost burnt down the house with a industrial wall paper steamer so I'm a little leary of those. [/QUOTE]

"Paper Tiger", I believe.

Vinegar and hot water worked for us too. Just remember to go slow so the solution has enough time to soak in.

[QUOTE=highdrawlicks] Removing the paper is going to cut into valuable luthiery time. My advice, torch the place and buy a new home sans offending wallpaper with the insurance money. One must set his/her priorities in life. [/QUOTE]

GREAT!!!

[QUOTE=highdrawlicks] Removing the paper is going to cut into valuable luthiery time. My advice, torch the place and buy a new home sans offending wallpaper with the insurance money. One must set his/her priorities in life. [/QUOTE]
Might be a hard sell for the insurance company when they discover that all your tonewood was rescued from the fire.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

[QUOTE=highdrawlicks] Insurance companies--yes--well--. WhenI torche--I mean, when my last abode burned to the ground (we think it was caused by a pocket of swamp gas ignited by the tail of Comet Hale Bopp) , I tragically lost thirty sets of exquisite old growth Brazilian, and two dozen of African Blackwood. The adjuster who examined the surviving, badly scorched sets claimed they suspiciously resembled poplar in both density and grain pattern. However, after impressing him with my integrity, and he approved my claim. He is now the proud owner of a matched set of six and twelve string cutaway Propsom guitars. Hey, there's a solution to everything. [/QUOTE]

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

[QUOTE=bob J] I'm moving into my new place. There is some gold flocked wallpaper in one roof and some red flocked in another. I wonder if the lady from whom I purchased the house ran a bordello-ahhh, if the wallpaper could talk. The paper has been put up with a glue. I am wondering is renting a steamer still the way to go?[/QUOTE]

Sounds like my grandmother's house in about 1970... Not in Gladstone MO is it?

Oh and don't feel bad. The house I bought last had LOOONG shag carpet in every bedroom... One blue, one red, one purple and one pink!RCoates38487.9702546296

Torch it! Greaat!

I just saw some show on diy where they redid a bathroom that had that "Old Car" wallpaper. The one with various steamer era cars on it. After scoring with the paper tiger they put some sort of paper soaked in glue softener over top the original paper for a while and then after carefully working a corner loose the whole thing peeled off in one sheet clean as a whistle. I don't recall them giving a brand name but the guys at the BORG should know what you're talking about.mcrandello38491.6623611111