When you're ready to paint or wallpaper a room, the thought of removing existing wallpaper can be daunting. Some people eliminate this seemingly overwhelming step and decide to paint or paper right over the wallpaper that's there, which may create problems down the road. And if the wallpaper underneath starts to peel, you'll be spending much more effort and money in the years to come repairing and patching.

Wallpaper removal takes work, but it's worth while in the long run. With the technics below, you will be much less likely to significantly damage the walls, making the whole process less stressful. Once you prepare your room (cover carpeting and furniture, and remove window treatments, wall hangings and nails), you're ready to begin.

You can save a lot of time and effort if the wallpaper you're removing is a newer strippable paper. You can test it by loosening a corner of the paper and pulling. If it pulls off without damaging the wall beneath, you're in luck - just keep pulling until the entire sheet comes off, and do this with every strip of paper.

If you discover that the wallpaper isn't strippable, there are a few choices:

Score and spray. Score the wallpaper, then spray it with water, making sure you use enough water to get into the scored areas. The water needs to get behind the paper to loosen it. Wait about ten minutes, then use a putty knife to scrape the paper off the wall. Chemical removal. Score the wallpaper, and then spray the chemical, soaking it into the wallpaper. Strip the paper by hand, then scrape the backing off the wall. Steam stripping is the most labor-intensive, so you may want to try the other methods first. Whether you rent or buy a steamer, there will be instructions, which you should carefully follow. Generally, once the water boils and steam is produced, hold the steam pad against the wallpaper for about thirty seconds or until the paper underneath loosens, then immediately scrape off.

There are different challenges for drywall and plaster, so it is important to know what type of wall you are working with. If you want to make sure the job is correctly and efficiently, contact us; we'd be happy to discuss your project with you.

Do you manage or own a commercial building with concrete block elevations? Is it starting to shows signs of old age such as peeling paint, loose joints, or just isn't exactly aesthetically appealing anymore? We can help you!

Problem: The Scottsdale Center, located in Independence, Missouri was in need of a protective coating to be applied to its back

elevation due to excessive paint failure leaving the CMU block exposed to the elements. In most areas, the paint had started to discolor or peal, while in the more crucial areas, the paint had trapped the water in between it and the cmu block. When water sits in between a coating and block, it can cause many issues from deterioration of the block and its joints to interior water and mold problems. 

 

phase of this project. The preparation included powerwashing the surface using a whirlybird tip, therefore removing most, if not all of the loose paint on the building. Once the powerwashing was complete, hand scraping was needed to remove the small amount of paint that wasn't removed by the powerwasher. Step 2 included priming of the block. Sherwin Williams Loxon Conditioner was used on this project due to the sub par condition of the substrate. Loxon Conditioner is an acrylic emulsion formula that penetrates deeply and seals interior and exterior vertical masonry and concrete surfaces. Step 3 of course is to apply our finish coat. Sherwin Williams Loxon Acrylic Finish Coat was used because of the twos strong compatibility and long-term adhesion. The finish coat was sprayed and back-rolled to ensure all surfaces were uniformly covered.

Conclusion: The project was a success and the building owner was very pleased. The combination of thorough preparation and the correct products used means this back elevation will not need to be repainted for quite some time. In total, 60 gallons of Sherwin Williams Conditioner and 60 gallons of Finish coat was used on the two back elevations of the 25,000 square foot buildings.

In the Spring of 2016, Kansass City's commercial repaint specialist were called upon to revive the exterior appearance of the the Famous Custards Last Stand in Blue Springs, Missouri. Custards Last Stand, a notorious, locally owned and operated custard parlor, is known for their award wining custard and is a staple to the Blue Springs community. 

Problem: The building was constructed in the 1990s and had never been repainted since their initial opening.

Due to weathering and age, the building's exterior was in need of a new paint job as well as caulking around its foundation in order to prevent water penetration.

Materials Used: Although the color was changed from the original color, the color change was subtle enough that the job could be completed in one liberal coat using the Spray and Back-roll Method. The Spray and

Back-roll method was necessary, due to the porous texture of the EFIS and allowed the painters to thoroughly and uniformly coat the substrate. Sherwin Williams Loxon Acrylic Exterior Coating was used to complete the EFIS, while Sherwin Williams DTM Acrylic Coating was used for all other surfaces such as, the bollards and man doors. The elastomeric polyurethane caulk was installed along the base of the West and South elevations where the previous caulk showed signs of failure.  In the end, over 50 gallons of paint, elastomeric polyurethane sealant caulk, a 30 foot scissor lift, and miscellaneous sundries.

Conclusion: Custard's Last Stand's exterior EFIS was painted Cotton White, SW 7104, while the man doors and bollards were painted Proper Gray, SW 6003. The project was completed in 4 days, creating minimal to no interference for the Custard's Last Stands' employees and its traffic!

 

In Spring of 2016, the Marriott of Overland Park was faced with remodeling their in-house Starbucks Café.

With no permits required, the scope was fairly simple: Repaint the walls to the new corporate specifications, add new counter tops, tile the menu board walls, and add some miscellaneous corporate items. While all this sounds easy, there of course was a stringent deadline. To the client’s surprise, Major Painting was able to complete all the painting and carpentry needs, making his life easier by not having to hire multiple companies.

 

focus was on removing all wallpaper, preparing the walls for paint, and getting as much tile up as possible. Day two’s time was spent double coating all walls and finishing with the tile. On day 3, the crews touched up areas as necessary, grouted, cleaned, and helped with any other miscellaneous tasks that were needed. 

 

Many people believe painting to be an easy task that anyone can do. Their finished results however tell a different story. When painting, even the smallest details matter, which is why it is important not to take shortcuts. Here are some things to be aware of when painting your own home that will truly make a difference in the way your walls look.

1. Clean surfaces first

This is a step that a lot of people skip, yet is extremely important. Paint cannot adhere properly to dirt, grime, or oil, which means that unless you clean your walls, they are likely to appear patchy.

2. Use canvas drop cloths

Plastic drop cloths can become bunched up underneath your feet, thereby leaving your floors unprotected. Canvas drop cloths are a better choice because they remain in placer. You also don’t need to cover your entire floor-instead, simply move your canvas drop cloth with you as you go around the room.

3. Prime patched holes and cracks

When painting over patched holes or cracks, you may notice that the sheen is different once your paint dries. The way to avoid this problem is by priming over the area first, taking care to feather the edges. Allow to dry and then sand lightly before adding your first coat of paint.

4. Cut tape before peeling it away

Once the paint is dry, a common tendency is to pull off tape in a single swipe. This is not recommended, as it could result in you tearing dried pieces of paint along with your tape. Cut tape loose instead, using a sharp razor knife, then pull slowly and evenly so the paint stays on your wall.

These are just a few basic things to consider when painting. There are actually quite a few more we don’t have time to list here that are equally as important. You don’t have to keep up with all of them, when you can allow our team of professionals to do that for you. To find out more, contact us.