Stripping off the old­ wall covering is usually wiser than leaving it on. New coverings adhere better to stripped-down surfaces. Depending on the wall covering and the kind of wall it’s on, there are several ways to approach the job.

But you can successfully paper over old wall coverings, although it’s not always a good idea, because the moisture in adhesives can cause both the old and new coverings to peel away from the wall. Also, if previous strips of wall covering have been lapped at the seams, these lap marks will show through the new covering. If you still want to paper over old coverings, as necessary, sand the seams smooth, tear away any loose strips, and re-paste loose edges aro­und butt seams or defects before applying the new covering. If you’re papering over foil or vinyl wall coverings, go over the shiny areas lightly with coarse sandpaper and then vacuum or wipe the sanding dust off the wall.

 

Strippable Papers

Though most strippable wall coverings are characterized by smooth, plasticlike textures (including viny­l, fabric-backed vinyl, or fabric-backed paper), the only way to find out if a covering is really strippable is to try peeling it off the wall. Here’s how:

Step 1: Pry the paper up in an inconspicuous corner at the top of a wall with the tip of a utility knife.

Step 2: Grasp the tip of the corner and, keeping it as close to the wall as possible, try to pull it down the surface of the wall. Pulling it toward you and away from the wall increases the likelihood of tearing it. If a covering is strippable, it should peel away from the wall when you apply steady, moderate pressure. If not, you’re probably dealing with a nonstrippable paper tha­t you will have to soak, steam, or dry-strip off the wall. Do not soak or use steam-stripping methods on drywall, though. The moisture can soften the wall’s kraft-paper surface and its gypsum core. Instead, use a dry-strip method.­

Slitting and Soaking

With this technique, you make horizontal slits in the surface of the old wall covering with a utility knife, a razor blade, or a special tool called a paper stripper, available at wall covering stores. The slits, made eight or ten inches apart, allow warm, soapy water or a liquid paper remover to get behind the paper and soften the adhesive so you can pull or scrape the paper off plaster walls. You can apply either solution with a sponge or a spray bottle. Caution: If you spray on a liquid paper remover, use a painters’ mask to keep from inhaling chemical vapors.

Step 1: Apply the water or the paper remover and let it soak in for a few minutes.

Step 2: Do the same thing on the next strip, then go back to the first and wet it again top to bottom.

Step 3: Use a 3 1/2-inch-wide wall scraper with a flexible blade to begin stripping. Slide the blade under the top edge of one of the horizontal slits and, holding it at about a 30-degree angle, push up on the wet paper. A scraper-width section should rip along the sides of the blade and wrinkle up above it as you push.

Step 4: Continue pushing as long as the paper comes off. If the strip of scraped paper breaks, resoak that area and start scraping at another slit. If, after repeated soaking and scraping attempts, the adhesive is clearly not yielding, you’ll have to use another method.

On walls made of drywall, use a paper stripper to make the horizontal slits as before, but don’t wet the paper. Just slowly scrape or peel it away from the wall.

Steaming

Many tool rental and wallpaper outlets rent electrical steamers to do-it-yourselfers. These appliances typically consist of an electrically heated water tank connected by a long hose to a steamer plate with a perforated face. Here’s how they’re used:

Step 1: Once the water is hot, hold the plate against the wall until you see the wall covering darken with moisture around the edges of the plate. Start on a single strip and work from the top down.

Step 2: After about half of the strip has been steamed, lift a top corner with a fingernail or a utility knife and attempt to peel the paper downward. If that doesn’t work, resort to a wall scraper. You may have to steam the same areas two or three times to loosen older adhesive behind the paper.

 

Materials
wood
wood stain
wood glue
construction adhesive
screws
staples
polyurethane topcoat
Tools
safety goggles
gloves
tape measure
miter saw
screwdriver
staple gun
orbital sander
foam brush
cheesecloth
clamps
Kreg jig

Step 1: Get a Custom-Made Wood Stain
Get the wood stain custom-made to match the existing vanity or other woodwork perfectly. Measure the height and width of the tub front carefully to get the exact dimensions of the area to be covered.

Step 2: Measure and Cut the Planks of Wood
Cut two planks of wood to the exact width of the tub front for the top and bottom rails. Subtract the dimensions of the top and bottom rails from the original height to get the height of the risers. Lay out the top and bottom rails and lay one riser on each edge. Measure and space the remaining two risers evenly to create three window sections of the same size.

Step 3: Apply the Wood Glue
Use wood glue on the edge of the board and press into place. Gorilla Glue is water resistant and has a strong bond for high water areas like bathrooms.

Step 4: Make the Pocket Holes
Use a Kreg jig to make the pocket holes. Clamp the jig to the board, and drill the hole. Carefully align and drive in the screw.

Step 5: Cut Square Pieces
Measure three window openings. Add 1″ on each side for overlapping, and cut the square pieces.

Step 6: Attach the Square Pieces to the Frame
Glue the square pieces on to the back of the frame and use a staple gun to attach these pieces to the frame (Be careful not to use a staple that is too long or it will come through the front.)

Step 7: Sand the Entire Surface
Use an orbital sander to sand the entire surface. Wipe down the surface with a cheese cloth.

Step 8: Apply the Stain
Apply the stain with a sponge brush for a smooth application. Allow to dry. Add coats of stain until the color matches the existing woodwork in the bathroom.

Step 9: Apply Polyurethane and Secure the Wood
Apply three coats of polyurethane. For a smooth finish, sand between coats with a high grit sand paper. Matt used a fine 180 grit paper.

Once the wood is dry, glue it to the tub with construction adhesive.

Materials
painter’s masking tape
Tools
plastic sheeting
hammer
chisel
safety glasses
floor scraper
hammer drill
chisel bit
pry bar
putty knife
angle grinder with diamond blade
vacuum

Step 1: Remove the Molding
Remove the baseboard and shoe by gently tapping a pry bar, putty knife or chisel behind the baseboard while using a thin piece of scrap wood to protect the wall. Care at this stage will allow the baseboards to be reused after the floor is installed. Use a pencil to mark the backs of the baseboards so they are easily identifiable to be reinstalled in the same spot.
Step 2: Remove Appliances
Take out any appliances that stand on the flooring.

Step 3: Cut the Tile for the Thresholds
For any threshold between the new floor and remaining tile floor use an angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut through the tile flooring. Carefully cut down the edge of the grout line on both sides. This will give a nice, even cut.

Step 4: Remove the Floor
Put up a plastic barrier in order to keep the dust and debris from the tile removal from spreading throughout the house. This is a messy, dusty job. Use plastic sheeting or cut up plastic bags to seal all air vents to prevent dust from entering the ductwork. Use a hammer, hammer drill, floor scraper, chisel and safety glasses and remove the old tile. Scrape the old dried thinset off the plywood. Vacuum the floor to ready it for installing new flooring.

Step 1: Test the Wall Area
Cover your flooring with plenty of drop cloths. This is a very messy job.

Use a 5-inch or an 8-inch floor scraper. Gently test an area of your wall to see how easily the texture comes off. Once you know the amount of pressure needed, determine the best angle to hold the scraper while you work.
Step 2: Remove the Texture from the Wall
Do not work at too severe of an angle or you may gouge and damage your drywall.

Scrape the wall and remove the texture working on one four square foot area at a time.

Once the entire area has been scraped clean, go over the area with a damp cloth to remove any dust and debris. Clean your cloth often. Once the area is clean, let it dry completely before doing any further work on the wall, like applying paint or any other finish.

Step 3: Apply an Oil-Based Primer
Apply an oil-based primer all over the wall. Be sure to wear gloves and properly ventilate the area when working. Let it dry completely.

Step 4: Smooth Out the Texture
Use ready mix joint compound and apply it with a wallboard knife. Apply a generous layer. If your knife is scraping the wall you’re pressing too hard and more mud is needed on the knife. About 3/8 inch thick is a good amount. Feather the edges to an almost invisible finish to maintain an even look.

Let the first coat dry for 24 hours
Step 5: Apply Second Layer to Compound
Use a spray bottle to dampen the area with a fine mist of water. Then, apply a second layer of joint compound just as you did the first. Again, let dry for 24 hours.

Apply a thin skim coat and be careful to evenly feather out the edges and create as smooth and even a finish as possible.

Once this dries for 24 hours apply primer and paint as desired.