I'm not such a great stripper
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| Wall & Deco |
Until you want to rip it down. Until you want to replace it with plain white, blue or beige wall. My apologies to the wonderful creators of Wall & Deco but I think wallpaper should be illegal.
It's because I spent 8 hours on Saturday, up a step ladder yet again, scraping wallpaper from a 6 x 6 room. And I didn't even get half way done. We tried anti-adhesive solvent and the Tiger Claw. And furious digging with a putty knife. Nope, it did not work. Or I guess yes it did work if you count the wallpaper coming off in three separate layers, first the pattern, then the paper backing and lastly (and the most frustrating) the adhesive. Right now the room looks like something out of a horror movie, half stripped of wallpaper with adhesive glue dried in the corners to look like dead skin. Like the bathroom walls are shedding.
If only they would. My sister asked if I was scared that I'd peel back the wallpaper and find a scary drawing or script scrawled all over the wall. I would be OVERJOYED if the wallpaper would PEEL back - I envy those people (mostly women) in horror films who rip off wallpaper in large strips as if they're unwrapping an extremely large Christmas present.
You know the best part? Once you get the wallpaper off the walls, it still continues to stick. To anything. So maybe that's the floor or the tarp but mainly, you. And when it hardens, it turns pretty much into plaster. So yes, that's my argument for the illegalization of wallpaper. Look for me on C-SPAN next week.
this is funny. i can only imagine how frustrating this all was but you at least you can make others laugh about it, even if you aren't laughing yet yourself. i say treat yourself to some nice hand cream : )
ReplyDeleteOh no! I know how rubbish stripping wallpaper is (been there many times) but that's no argument against it! It was once enjoyed as something beautiful. Teenagers are rubbish too (mostly), but you wouldn't make children (which were once enjoyed as something beautiful) illegal? Huh?! :-D :-D :-D
ReplyDeleteI've never ripped the wallpapers before, where I live we paint!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really frustrating! At least, once you get it totally removed and everything starts coming together, you'll feel 100x more relieved and appreciative. Good luck, girl!
ReplyDeleteI love the look of wallpaper but taking it down is a b****. Clearly remember when my parents moved us into a house full of yucky wallpaper and we had to strip every little bit of it. So frustrating...
ReplyDeleteI hear yah, Rooth! I've never had to do that myself, but my husband did tell me it's a pain in the arse:(
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling this may end up being your most viewed post ever!!! :)
ReplyDeleteAs with any activity, you'll get better with practice. I'm apparently the only one struggling to not make jokes about this.
yah i've heard so many horror stories working with wallpaper!
ReplyDeleteOh no, that sounds like such a nightmare! I've never encountered wallpaper before, but I definitely don't want to now.
ReplyDeleteAhaha, you always have the funniest way of telling stories. Only you could make wallpaper removal so hilarious! I helped my aunt take hers down a few years ago and it wasn't anywhere near as taxing. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteAwww. You sound like you're having so much trouble with that. I'm sorry... But I've got no tips to add.
ReplyDelete7% Solution
I've never liked wall paper and your experience just reaffirms what I always knew it my gut. Wall paper is evil.
ReplyDeleteWallpaper can look great but for practical reasons I wouldn't put up any. Love the title of this post ;)
ReplyDeleteLUXESSED
I love this cool wallpaper. It is is different from my style, but it's really cool.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO true about the ladies in the movies peeling it away! haha!!
ReplyDeleteOk..now I'm kinda scared...I've been wanting to do some wallpaper on just a little section in my kitchen...but I guess that's the opposite of what you're doing.
I´ve always just painted on top of the wallpaper, makes it look like white (or whatever color you have) wallpaper but if that doesn´t bother you, it´s a much easier approach. :-)
ReplyDeletehahaha oh man, I feel your pain! We helped our mother-in-law try to take down her wallpaper, and we ended up having to call a professional (and that was with 4 of us trying!) Good luck, but I can only imagine your frustration!!!!
ReplyDeleteHa! That sounds terrible. I have to admit, when my sister and I took down my parent's ugly wallpaper {they went out of town and didn't know we had this planned} it actually came off really easily. I think it took more time to clean the paste spots off the wall to prepare for painting.
ReplyDeleteThere is a little tool that you wiggle around on the wall that puts holes in the wallpaper so the adhesive dissolver {or water} penetrates to the sticky layer. Have you tried that? If that makes no sense, let me know and I'll try to find one online for you.
lol, hilarious. but to be fair, this must be modern and/or american wallpaper. I remember moving as a kid and helping to get wallpaper down. we used a sponge, soaked it in water a few times. waited a day. and unwrapped the christmas present. it was a blast. I had so much fun. but I can see how modern adhesives are a pain. makes you wonder. if the old one worked, why do we have to use stuff that could clue the moon to the stars???
ReplyDeleteHaha I shouldn't be laughing but I've got some awesome imagery in my head. You are such a good daughter! What a pain this project has become!
ReplyDeleteI remember my parents stripping wallpaper when I was little but I haven't had to do it yet in my adult life.
I am going home to Texas next week for my sustee's wedding so I will try and take some pics of my mlm's farmhouse then :)
This is exactly why I'm afraid to ever use wallpaper, no matter how pretty it is!
ReplyDeleteLOL, yep it's def a pain in the arse to remove, so thank goodness for the invention of temporary wallpaper (geared to renters who want their deposits back from landlords since they didn't damage the walls). Some companies now also make LARGE decals (similar to my pink grandfather clock in my ofc) in wallpaper roll sizes - woot woot! But in the meantime, ooohhh those darn tough wallpapers (picture me pumping my fists up in the air). ; )
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