Searching for what is hiding under wallpaper? We will share with you what we found.
Wonder what is lurking behind your wallpaper? You just never know, which can sometimes be an issue.
When we purchased our home, I explained before the entire home was covered in wallpaper... The only part of our home that had ever had paint gracing the walls was in the dining room below the chair rail. The rest was untouched having wallpaper on the walls since 1950 when this cozy little cottage was built.
When we began removing the wallpaper, we found some issues, especially in the living room. There had been a leak at the chimney and the plaster had come away from the walls. Do you know in some areas the wallpaper was actually holding the plaster in place?
Behind that mirror and wallpaper was a mess, plaster that came off in pieces.
Do you not love our bubble gum pink living room?
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Lovely damage huh? We cleaned up the walls, ensuring all of the glue had been removed and then we called someone to repair the plaster.
Make sure when you call someone for repairs you are on the premises so you can keep a watchful eye on what people are actually doing on your property. We had to learn this the hard way.
After the repairs were made, and the leak seemed to be fixed we had new carpet installed. We found out a thing or two about how the repairs were made, and unfortunately they were not up to snuff.
One day Mr. VS and I were in the living room changing up the seasonal decor on the mantel. When Mr. Vintage walked across the room, he found he was walking across wet carpet, yes our brand new carpet... soaked.
Good thing we purchased that barrier that goes between your carpet and the padding. Spring for those things when you can. We decided we were going to do things right here, and it saved us on our carpet.
I may have mentioned a time or two that my husband will tell anyone and everyone that he is not allowed in our living room. He calls it the Christmas room and since we seldom use this room, the leak went undetected for a bit.
Long story short, we had another repair to make. What fun, huh?
We called a contractor since we assumed it was coming from the chimney again. Come to find out, the people who "repaired" our chimney used regular bathroom calk on the chimney to make the repairs.
We never got up on the roof to check their handy work, and no photos were offered once the work was complete. Do you see how all of this is a learning experience? I am not shy, I will share our mistakes to prevent others from making the same costly mistakes we have.
So the chimney had to be repaired a second time. The second time around, we paid to have rubber roof material put around the chimney. Guess what? We asked for pictures when the repairs were complete too. Eight years later, we seem to be lucky since we have not had any more issues.
Since we have repaired plaster in our living room before around a curtain rod a few times we know this is a fix we can do on our own.
If you know how to make repairs, we encourage you to do it since no one will treat your home as you will. We have learned this the hard way. I wish there was someone I could study under so I could learn my way around making repairs on our home.
How awesome would that be if a retiree took people under their wing and shared their knowledge with others? Knowledge is power, and when you have the know how, the sky is the limit.
Interested in seeing more photos of our living room and how changes have been made? Click to read:
Hope you have a wonderful week.
Wow, your fireplace mantel and screen are gorgeous. And yes, living in an old house, covered in painted over wallpaper, I totally get it. Thankfully my husband is a very knowledgeable DIYer, I can't imagine what a contractor would do around here!
ReplyDeleteI need the knowledge so I can do these things myself, and my husband would roll his eyes at that comment. Thank you, that mantel was a big draw for me on the house.
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