Wallpaper Removal Gives This Rochester, Indiana Stairwell a Fresh Start

Sometimes changing one area of your home is enough to change the way the whole space feels. That was certainly true for this recent interior project in Rochester, Indiana. The stairwell’s existing textured wallpaper covered a relatively small portion of the home, but because of its height, location and visibility from the surrounding rooms, it had a big impact.

As we head into the colder months, it’s a great time to tackle those interior projects you’ve been putting off. This Rochester project is a great example of how much one change can do. Removing dated wallpaper and giving this stairwell a fresh finish made the entire space feel brighter and more updated.

Wallpaper Removal Takes More Than Pulling Down the Paper

If you have ever tried to remove wallpaper yourself, you know that getting the wallpaper off your walls is only part of the job.

Wallpaper removal can leave adhesive behind, and often the wall underneath may need repairs before it’s ready for paint. Matthews’ Painting’s wallpaper removal process includes cleaning the walls, addressing damage and preparing the surface for its next finish. Proper preparation is important because incorrect removal can damage drywall and create problems with the new paint finish.

For this recent Rochester Indiana interior painting and wallpaper removal project, we began by using an enzyme solution and steamer to remove the wallpaper. Once the paper was down, we thoroughly cleaned the walls to remove the remaining wallpaper glue.

From there, we applied a sealing primer before beginning drywall repairs.

Why seal first? After wallpaper removal, you’re not always dealing with the same clean, uniform surface you’d have on a previously painted wall. Sealing the surface helps isolate what is underneath and gives us a more reliable surface for the repairs and painting that follows.

Once the drywall repairs were completed and sanded smooth, we primed the repaired areas and moved on to paint.

A Fresh Finish With Scuff-X

The walls were finished with two coats of Benjamin Moore Scuff-X in Marilyn’s Dress.

In a stairwell, the finished walls have to do more than look good. Hallways and stairs are high-traffic areas where walls can be bumped, brushed against and touched regularly. The finished space now has a durable, clean, simple look that works with the rest of the home without the visual texture of the previous wallpaper.

And the before-and-after difference is hard to miss.

You Don’t Have to Paint the Whole House

Home improvement projects have a way of growing in our minds.

You notice dated wallpaper in the stairwell and start thinking about the hallway. Then the living room. Then the trim. Before long, what started as one thing you wanted to change feels like a whole-house project.

It doesn’t have to be.

Sometimes the smartest place to start is the area that bothers you most.

A stairwell, entryway, hallway, accent wall or single room can have an outsized effect on how your home looks and feels. Updating one highly visible area can make surrounding spaces feel fresher without committing to a major renovation or repainting every room.

This Rochester stairwell is a perfect example. The footprint didn’t change. The railing didn’t change. The home didn’t need to be remodeled.

We simply removed a finish that no longer worked for the homeowner, properly repaired and prepared the walls, and gave the space a fresh painted surface. The difference carries beyond the stairwell itself.

Cold Weather Is Interior Project Season

As exterior painting season winds down in Northern Indiana, it’s a great time to start thinking about the projects you have been putting off inside.

Having work done inside your home does not need to be disruptive. Our team works with you to plan the project, protect your space and keep things running as smoothly as possible from start to finish.

Fall and winter are especially good times to tackle projects such as wallpaper removal, interior painting and drywall repair. We offer a lower winter rate on all interior painting, wallpaper removal and drywall repair projects scheduled to be completed between December and February.

So if there is a stairwell you’ve stopped noticing, wallpaper you’ve wanted gone for years, damaged drywall you have been meaning to repair or a room that’s simply ready for a new color, this is a good time to get it on the schedule.

Looking for Interior Painters in Rochester, Indiana?

Matthews’ Painting Company provides interior painting, wallpaper removal, drywall repair and other home improvement services in Rochester and throughout Northern Indiana.

Whether you’re ready to update several rooms or simply want to finally tackle that one area of the house, we’d be happy to take a look. Start with one space. You may be surprised how much it changes your home.

Schedule a free estimate with Matthews’ Painting Company online 24/7.