Doylestown, Bucks County
Wallpaper removal in Doylestown, PA.
In the borough, old paper usually comes off plaster in rooms that open into one another. In Doylestown Township it comes off drywall from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Wallpaper removal for Doylestown homes
The borough and the township next door could hardly be more different under their paper. About three in ten borough homes predate 1940, the largest single age group there, while in Doylestown Township fewer than three homes in a hundred are that old and four in five went up between 1960 and 1999.
That split decides the job. In the borough's older houses the paper is on plaster, and the work is mostly about what the plaster needs once it is bare. In the township it is on drywall, and the work turns on whether that board was primed before anyone papered it.
Doylestown
Side halls, double parlors and township drywall
Late-Federal houses, built in numbers in the 1830s as the town became a borough, typically put a side hall beside two parlors that open into each other. In rooms that read as one space, a freshly skimmed and painted wall beside one still under old paper, or old repairs, shows through the opening between them. It usually makes sense to plan connected rooms together: strip and repair them in one pass, and choose color for both at once.
About half of Doylestown Township's houses come from two decades, the 1970s and the 1990s, and both are drywall. Paper hung on unprimed board in either decade can strip the board's face as it comes away. Torn areas are sealed with a shellac or oil primer, since a water-based one would bubble them, then skimmed so they vanish under paint. Where the board was primed first, removal is mostly paste and patience.
Worth knowing
No review board for this
The borough's HARB covers exteriors that can be seen from a public street. Interiors are exempt, so stripping or hanging paper needs no approval.
Long views need flat walls
Rooms that open into one another are seen from across the house and at an angle, which is when uneven plaster shows. A skim after stripping keeps the view clean.
Woodwork stays dry
Doors, casings and baseboards are covered before any soaking, so water and softened paste run onto plastic rather than old paint.
The work
How the work goes
The same care on every job, in every town. The full guide to wallpaper removal.
The walkthrough
Randy looks at the paper, the age of the house and the walls with you, and explains what removal is likely to uncover. The estimate comes in writing, and both are complimentary.
Water and wiring
Because the work is wet, power to the outlets and switches on papered walls is shut off and their covers come off before any soaking. Floors are covered against runoff.
Soak, wait, lift
Vinyl facings that will peel off dry are peeled first. The backing and older papers are soaked with warm water and remover, given time to soften, and lifted with a wide blade; steam handles stubborn or painted paper.
Wash off the paste
Every trace of adhesive is washed away. Paste left on a wall shows through paint and stops new paper from bonding.
Seal and repair
Torn drywall face is sealed first with an oil- or shellac-based primer, because water-based products make it bubble. Cracks and loose plaster are repaired, and walls are skim-coated where they need to be made even.
Prime for what comes next
The wall is primed for paint, or with a wallcovering primer if new paper is going up. That primer also makes the next removal easier.
Questions
Wallpaper removal, Doylestown.
Our borough house has double parlors, both papered. Should both come down at once?
Usually, yes. The rooms are seen together through the opening between them, so walls repaired and painted in one pass match, and color can be chosen for both. Doing one now and the other later is possible, but the difference tends to show.
What is likely under the paper in the bathrooms of a 1970s Doylestown Township house?
Drywall, and possibly drywall that was never primed. Bathroom moisture can also loosen paste unevenly, so a test corner comes first; torn areas are sealed and skimmed, and the walls are primed for paint or new paper.
Do you work in Buckingham and Plumstead as well?
Yes. Randy serves Bucks County, the borough and Doylestown Township included, along with Buckingham, Plumstead and villages such as Furlong and Fountainville.
More in Doylestown
Other services here.
- Level 5 drywall finishA skim coat over the entire surface, for walls that hold up under raking light and dark paint.
- Skim coatingRough, patched or uneven walls resurfaced smooth, often after wallpaper comes down.
- Plaster repairCracked, loose and failing plaster in older homes, repaired and made sound.
- Interior paintingWalls, ceilings, trim, doors and millwork, prepared properly and finished clean.
- Exterior paintingSiding, trim, porches, stucco and brick, prepared to stand up to Pennsylvania weather.
- Drywall installation & repairNew drywall hung, taped and finished; cracks, holes and water damage repaired invisibly.
- Drywall texture matching & removalTexture matched so repairs disappear, applied where you want it, or taken off for a smooth wall.
- Popcorn ceiling removalOld acoustic texture taken down and the ceiling finished smooth.
- Wood stainingDecks, porch floors, doors and trim, inside and out, stained by hand.
Consultation
Request a private consultation.
Private walkthrough & written estimate, complimentary. Tell us a little about the house and the rooms, and Randy will be in touch to arrange a time.
- Hours
- Monday – Friday8:30 AM – 5:30 PMSaturday10 AM – 3 PMSundayClosed
- Service area
- Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley; Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Fully insured — proof on request. Residential and commercial.