Wallpaper and Removal

Well it's finally time! This weekend is when we begin to tear down the classic Mickey Mouse wallpaper that has occupied the walls of my room for my entire childhood. It will be a happy moment, but sad to say goodbye to what I've always known my room as. It will be quite the process. First me and my mentor have to remove all furniture, and most items out of my room to make the removal of the wall paper even possible. I am really looking forward to seeing the whole project start to come together. For the past few months I have mainly been working on art work, décor, blogging, and planning what I need to do. Now the fun actually begins!
I will be posting before and after pictures of my room for everyone who is curious to see the overall result and the changes that will take place. Also if anyone is interested in viewing the artwork I have talked about on multiple occasions throughout posts, I have created a page called 'Gallery'. The gallery page as of now has some of the things I have done, and am working on.


I have researched different ways to remove wall paper over the past few days. Some have multiple steps, some websites suggest using a steamer, and others say just tear it off! The way me and my mentor have decided to go about the removal is as follows, unless something changes in the process.


STEP 1: PREPARE THE ROOM
Place drop cloths at the base of the walls to be stripped. Remove all switch plates and outlet covers from the walls. Cut the power to the room.
STEP 2: SCORE WALLPAPER
Use a wallpaper scorer to create small holes in the paper, which allows the solution to penetrate through to the adhesive base.
STEP 3: MIX SOLUTION
While there are a number of commercially prepared solutions available, little works better than hot water and fabric softener. Combine the water and fabric softener in a large spray bottle at a concentration of one to one. Tip: Mix the solution in small batches to keep the water as hot as possible
STEP 4: SOAK WALLS
Use a spray bottle to saturate a section of the wallpaper. Spray only as much of the wall as you can comfortably strip in a 15-minute period. Allow the solution to soak the paper for a few minutes before beginning.
STEP 5: STRIP WALLPAPER
Grab pieces of wallpaper at a bottom corner and carefully pull upward. Use a wide putty knife to facilitate the removal of the paper. Repeat the above steps until all the wallpaper is removed.
STEP 6: CLEAN WALLS
In a bucket mix a tablespoon of dish detergent with very hot water. Use a sponge to wipe down the walls, scrubbing carefully to remove all traces of wallpaper adhesive. Finally, rinse down the walls with clean water and towel dry.