If only I had known what lay under the original panelling. I wonder now if I would have attempted removing it. In all honesty, probably not! But it did lead to finding a very economical solution. With a roll of paintable beadboard wallpaper, some chair rail and paint, we were able install a DIY Faux Beadboard Wainscoting and update the door for less than $100. If you missed the DIY Hollow-Core Door Update, I’ll insert a link here.
When we first purchased the cottage, the entire house was green and purple and needed a little… updating. There was this strange little trailer like cupboard above the linen closet that always smelt like moth balls. It was unfortunate and needless to say, nothing was ever stored there.
The hallway runs down the middle of the house and is exactly 36 inches wide. It’s very narrow and dark. As you can see from above, there was press-board sheet paneling covering the bottom half of the walls. We had taken a peek behind one of the smaller pieces and the walls in-behind appeared to be salvageable. So, I got to work removing the paneling. Boy, was I in for a surprise!
We quickly realized that while there was indeed drywall behind there paneling, there was also some type of laminate or linoleum glued…or tarred to the drywall? There was also a layer of peel and stick wood look on top. We stopped and got everything tested for asbestos, just in case. Once we got the test results back, and everything was negative, we removed all of the raised pieces. It probably would have been just as easy to cut out the drywall and replace it. But, we knew that we were saving to gut the house and do a full renovation within a few years. Enter the textured beadboard wallpaper.
For the same reason we chose not to replace the drywall, we chose wallpaper in stead of real beadboard. This option was our quick, easy, affordable, DIY update. There are so many options when it comes to wallpaper. There’s peel-and-stick, pre-pasted and standard. This can also be a great renter-friendly option if you use peel-and-stick, since you won’t damage the walls underneath.
Without further ado, here’s what you’ll need:
- Wallpaper
- Wall Sealer or Wall Size
- Molding
- Adhesive
- Caulk
- Nails
- Tape Measure
- Level
- Miter Saw or Miter Box
- Paint
STEP 1 – PLAN OUT YOUR DIY
I didn’t get a photo of this step, well because I’m writing this blog after the fact. Planning out your project first will help you identify what you need before you head out to the store. In a world where gas is $2 a liter, I think you’ll agree with me that one trip costs enough! Since the previous owners had placed their laminate wall treatment halfway up the wall, I didn’t have the option of standard height, which is 32 inches up from the floor. I find that halfway up cuts the wall in a funny spot, it just never looked quite right, so I decided to take ours 2/3 of the way up the wall, giving it a tall look.
STEP 2 – PREP YOUR WALLS FOR WALLPAPER
If you aren’t using a peel-and-stick wallpaper, the most common wall prep is BIN Zinsser ShieldZ Clear Wall Size. This is a ready to use, acrylic sealer and sizer for preparing painted and glossy surfaces for wallcoverings. It provides a uniform sealed surface which makes wallpaper easier to position while improving adhesion. You don’t want to skip this step, especially if you’re in an older home and you don’t know exactly what material of construction is on your walls.
STEP 3 – MEASURE IT OUT AND PREP IT
If you aren’t going all the way to the ceiling, draw a horizontal line with a level where you will stopping the paper. Measure from the line to the baseboards and add a couple inches for margin of error to find how long your paper will be. Apply the paste liberally to the wall, especially around edges where peeling could most easily occur. If you chose a pre-pasted paper, loosely roll the first strip with the patterned side facing in. Completely submerge the rolled wallpaper in water (ideally in a wallpaper tray) for 10 to 15 seconds to activate the adhesive. Remove the roll by slowly pulling the leading edge out of the tray, glue-side up.
STEP 4 – APPLY IT
Working from the top down, line up the horizontal edge of the paper to the makrings you made with your level. Start in the middle of the wall, not a corner. Almost no corner will be perfectly square, especially if your house is as interesting as ours was! This will ensure that your beadboard appears straight across the wall. The paste will allow you to move your paper around a fair bit, so don’t panic when the air bubbles and wrinkles appear. Smooth out your paper with a bristle brush, gradually moving any bubbles or wrinkles off the side. Take your time, as each section becomes the new plumb line for the next sheet.
STEP 5 – TRIM IT OUT
Use a new sharp utility blade and a metal straight edge. Work your way along baseboards or seams, carefully removing the excess paper. Keep your knife sharp by snapping off sections. A sharp knife will give you cleaner cuts. Nothing worse than getting the paper into place only to rip it. Trust me, it’s very upsetting and discouraging! Using a miter saw or box, measure and cut your molding with an inside cut. The back side of your trim should span the distance between the walls with the miter sloping in. Get a level and nail it in place.
STEP 6 – FILL & PAINT
Using paintable caulking, fill in the nail holes, miter mistakes and any other gaps that are annoying you. Once it’s dry, sand down and bumps or raised edges to give yourself a smooth finish. Instead of dusting everything, I took the shopvac with a bristle attachment and vacuumed everything down. Then I went in with a damp microfiber cloth to pick up and remaining particles. Now it’s time for paint! We used a semi-gloss primer white. Semi-gloss is a bit sturdier against wear and tear than eggshell and I would recommend all trim and doors be painted in semi, but you can chose whatever colour you want and go wild!
Is it perfect? No, but it brightened up our space and made it more livable for less than $100. We painted the doors using old samplers and made a colour to give us a pop. If you know me, you’ll know I love a coloured door, especially in a small tight space! I hope this post can inspire you to try something new to make your space a little more like home.
Until next time…
