Resurfacing walls
I’m sure this has been asked about several times but I couldn’t find any thread about good wallpaper removers/painters in the Park Slope/Prospect Heights area. I’ve received a few estimates that have ranged from 2500-5500 dollars for the same room and was wondering if anyone could recommend someone–not too pricey–who is reliable in the area….
I’m sure this has been asked about several times but I couldn’t find any thread about good wallpaper removers/painters in the Park Slope/Prospect Heights area. I’ve received a few estimates that have ranged from 2500-5500 dollars for the same room and was wondering if anyone could recommend someone–not too pricey–who is reliable in the area. Thanks!
To remove the old wallpaper just get a wet sponge soaked with water and vinegar. Let it absorb for half an hour then use a spatula and get as mich off as you can.
the tinkers wagon. They do a lot of this kind of work at reasonable prices. thetinkerswagon.com
347-813-9635.
Jason
If you know the plaster is is bad shape before touching the wall paper, I guess you could leave it in place as a skin holding things together and go on top, saving some work, but I’ve never tried it.
I have found that the bond between the wallpaper and plaster is often not strong enough to trust and would rather not have it there as an unreliable base. Also, as you introduce moisture into the paper via plasterbond, plaster, or paint, you might see additional separation between the wallpaper and wall. Just too dicey for me. I want to see the underlying wall before I move forward.
On the other hand, if the wallpaper is sticking very well to the plaster, chances are that the plaster itself is in decent shape and may not need the fiberglass mesh.
So do you remove the wallpaper before you cover with mesh? Or you put the mesh over the wallpaper?
Susannah,
After the old wallpaper is removed, you may find the original plaster in very brittle, sad shape. The current wallpaper may be what is holding your walls together.
The fiberglass mesh is an excellent way to give your walls the missing support and help prevent cracks from reappearing. IMO, this is the “right” way to do it in many cases. It will build out the walls a bit more than straight skim-coating, but not nearly as much as putting sheetrock on top of plaster and lathing that is at the end of its useful life. The alternative of ripping out and replacing weak plaster is more desireable but considerably more messy and expensive.
The right thing to do before putting up the fiberglass mesh would be coat the walls with plasterbond (pink, gooey stuff to seal and provide a good base for additional coats). It goes on fast like paint with a roller and should not cost too much more.
A contractor that suggests using both the fiberglass and plasterbond is interested in delivering a quality result that will last over time.
I have another question: In renovating the walls, one guy who came to give an estimate suggested using fiberglass mesh to reinforce the walls and I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea for the old walls of a brownstone, whereas another suggested just removing wallpaper and applying a skimcoat. Any thoughts on this and what is best to maintain old brownstone walls?
Thanks
Susannah
Jesse- thanks so much for the advice. I will be calling Gus for an estimate for sure.
I just used Gus Home Improvement to replaster and paint my apt in the slope. Gus’s price was below others and he did a bunch of freebies like hanging two ceiling fans, fix a sink, and install molding around a closet door all at the end of the project after he gave me the price quote for just the plaster / painting. I offered to pay him extra but he refused to take it. He also found me a floor refinisher that did the job for almost 1k lower than other rates (about 2.50 a square foot, including staining). Gus’s number is 646 491 3226, and I’ll definitely be using him for any future projects.