Quakertown, Bucks County
Wallpaper removal in Quakertown, PA.
Quakertown's twins and row houses went up in the trolley years, and its busiest postwar decade was the 1970s. Behind old paper, that means plaster in the older blocks and drywall in the newer ones.
Wallpaper removal for Quakertown homes
After the trolley began running the length of Broad Street in 1896, row-house blocks went up across town, and solid masonry twins and Foursquares followed into the 20th century. About 27 percent of the borough's homes were built before 1940, and in those houses any old paper is stuck to plaster.
The 1970s were the borough's biggest postwar decade, about one home in five, and by then walls were drywall. Paper hung on that board without a coat of primer first is the kind that tears the wall's face as it comes off, so a test corner decides the method before any water goes on.
Quakertown
Trolley-era twins, masonry Foursquares and Richland drywall
The historic district's nomination describes large, square, two-and-a-half-story houses of stone and brick, some stuccoed, and clusters of substantial twins and rows with corner towers and stepped or gambrel gables. Inside, those houses are plaster, and a twin or row papered over the decades usually holds more than one layer and a few hidden repairs. Exterior masonry walls can show damp spots once their paper comes off, and those are dried and repaired before the wall is skimmed and painted.
Richland Township, all around the borough, is newer: more than two-thirds of its homes date from 1980 or later, and about three in ten from the 2000s alone. Papered rooms there are on drywall, and whether the paper peels away or takes the face with it depends on the primer under it. Torn spots get a shellac-based sealer, a skim and a fresh primer coat; clean walls just need the paste washed off.
Worth knowing
Masonry walls dry slowly
The inside face of a stone or brick exterior wall can hold the water from soaking longer than a frame wall. It is given time before sealer or compound goes on.
Old rooms and additions differ
Where a later addition meets the original house, plaster and drywall can sit side by side under one paper. Each is handled on its own terms.
Expect a skim
Plaster that has spent decades under paper often comes out too uneven for paint on its own. A skim over the whole wall is the usual finish.
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, Quakertown.
Most of Quakertown is a National Register district. Does that limit interior work like stripping paper?
No. The National Park Service says listing on its own places no restrictions on what a private owner does with a property using private funds, and wallpaper removal is interior work. For changes to the outside, check with the borough's code and zoning office.
Our Foursquare is papered top to bottom. What will the plaster need afterward?
Cracks taped and filled, loose spots secured, and usually a skim, because big, plain walls show every unevenness once they are painted. At the walkthrough Randy looks at a test patch with you and explains what the walls are likely to need.
Do you work in Richland and Trumbauersville?
Yes. Randy serves Bucks County, including the borough, Richland Township and Richlandtown, Milford Township and Trumbauersville. Most houses out there are newer drywall, so the primer question comes first.
More in Quakertown
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.