The short answer
Yes, we remove and install wallpaper in Holden Lakes, about three miles north of our Orlando base. Old paper is stripped, adhesive washed off and damaged drywall repaired and primed, so the new covering goes onto a smooth, sound surface.
Holden Lakes is an unincorporated community only about three miles north of our Orlando base, close to Edgewood, Sky Lake and Belle Isle. Because it is so near, many of our calls from here are about something that has been on the walls for a long time: a faded floral in a hall bath, a kitchen border from a past remodel, or paper a previous owner hung straight onto unprimed drywall. Taking that down well is a skill of its own, and it decides how good the next wall will look. So this page leads with removal, explains what happens to the wall underneath, and then moves on to choosing and installing something new. If you simply want fresh paper on a clean wall, the later sections cover that as well.
Why old wallpaper fights back
How easily a wallpaper comes off depends on three things: the type of paper, the paste and what was on the wall before it went up. Modern strippable and non-woven papers often peel off dry in full sheets. Older papers with a paper backing, hung with strong clay or wheat paste, tend to tear into small pieces and leave the backing glued to the wall. If the drywall was never primed, that paste bonds directly to the paper face of the drywall, and pulling it off can rip the surface.
Paint over wallpaper adds another barrier. Water and removal solution cannot soak through it until the surface is scored, and the more coats there are, the slower the job becomes. Borders are usually simpler, but they often leave a stripe of different paint color or sheen that needs blending afterward.
How we strip a room
Removal is messy, so the room is protected first. We lay drop cloths and plastic, cover outlets and switches after turning off power where needed, and move or wrap furniture. Then the work follows a predictable order.
- Test a small area to find out what kind of paper and paste we are dealing with.
- Peel any strippable face layer dry.
- Score painted or coated surfaces lightly, taking care not to cut into the drywall.
- Apply warm water or remover in sections and let it soak until the paste softens.
- Lift the backing with wide, flexible scrapers held at a low angle.
- Wash the wall until no slippery adhesive residue remains.
- Let the wall dry fully before any repair or primer goes on.
Repairing what removal reveals
Even a careful strip can uncover torn drywall paper, nail pops, old anchor holes and seams that were never finished properly. Torn brown paper is sealed with a shellac-based or oil-based primer so it does not bubble when joint compound goes on. Holes are filled, cracks are taped and the whole wall is skim coated if it needs it, then sanded smooth. Finally, a primer made for wallcovering creates an even surface that helps new paper stick and will let it come off cleanly in the future.
Some owners decide to paint at this point rather than repaper, and that is perfectly reasonable. The wall preparation is the same either way.
Putting something new on the wall
Once the walls are ready, the fun part begins. In Holden Lakes homes we often hang textured vinyl in kitchens and baths, non-woven prints in bedrooms, grasscloth in dining rooms, and murals or bold accent walls in living spaces. Peel-and-stick suits rentals or rooms where a homeowner expects to change the look again soon. Papered ceilings are another option worth considering, especially in a small powder room or a bedroom where the walls are already busy with furniture and art.
We measure each wall, account for the pattern repeat and help you order enough rolls from one print run so the color matches throughout.
Climate notes for north Orlando homes
Central Florida's wet season, June through September, brings heat, humidity and almost daily afternoon storms. Damp air slows the drying of wet walls after stripping, so removal and rehanging may be spaced a little further apart in summer than in the drier winter months. Keeping the air conditioning running helps. Hurricane season runs from June through November; if storm water ever reaches a wall, the drywall should be dried and repaired before new paper is hung.
We also work in Edgewood, Sky Lake, Belle Isle, Winter Park and Eatonville, and we install commercial wallcoverings for offices and shops nearby.
