Nazareth, Northampton County
Wallpaper removal in Nazareth, PA.
More than half of Nazareth's homes predate 1940. In the borough, old paper usually comes off plaster, now and then plaster laid right on stone; in the townships, it comes off drywall.
Wallpaper removal for Nazareth homes
The borough built in two waves before the Second World War. Just over half of the historic district's buildings were up by 1899, and another third followed between 1900 and 1938, many of them homes for workers at the cement plants around town. Census estimates put about 54 percent of the borough's housing before 1940, and rooms of that age were plastered, which is what most old paper here is stuck to.
Taking it off is wet work, and old plaster, above all plaster on stone, is hurt most by water that lingers. So the water goes on in measured amounts, every trace of paste is washed away, and the wall dries out fully before a crack is filled or primer goes on.
Nazareth
Stone, cement-era plaster and new township walls
Most of the stone buildings left in Nazareth went up before 1858, and plaster in them can be laid right on the masonry. Paper on those walls can hide damp, bubbled or powdery patches; once exposed, the soft plaster is cut back and rebuilt, after the source of the moisture has been found. Houses of the cement years have plaster too, with a century of patches under the paper, and more routine repairs: cracks taped, holes filled, the surface skimmed.
Upper Nazareth Township is another world: nearly half its homes were built since 2000, and about one in five came in the 1980s and 1990s. Lower Nazareth and Bushkill townships are mostly post-1980 as well. That is drywall, and what matters there is whether the board was primed before the paper went up. If it wasn't, torn patches of face paper are sealed with an oil-based primer, never a water-based one, and skimmed smooth.
Worth knowing
Dry before primer
Plaster soaked to release paper is left to dry all the way through. Primer or compound over a damp wall is how a careful removal still fails.
Layers, some painted
A house papered for a hundred years may carry several layers, some of them painted. Each comes off before the wall itself can be judged.
Brown paper means a torn face
In a newer township house, peel back a corner. If brown paper shows where the wallpaper lifted, the drywall's face is tearing and the wall will need sealing.
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, Nazareth.
Our Nazareth house has papered stone walls. Is removal any different?
The method is the same, with more care about water. Plaster on stone may already be holding some moisture, so the soak is kept light, steam is used sparingly, and the wall is left to dry out before anything is patched.
Do the walls in a new Upper Nazareth house need a skim after the paper comes off?
Only where the face tore. On primed drywall the paper and paste come off, a few nicks are filled, and the wall is ready for primer. On unprimed board the torn areas are sealed and skimmed so they disappear under paint.
How many layers of paper should we expect in a house from the 1890s?
There is no telling until a test patch is opened. Houses that age were often repapered over the previous paper rather than stripped, so several layers are common, and the bottom one may be stuck straight to the plaster.
More in Nazareth
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.