Hi All,
We'll be renovating a 2br unit soon.
Need to remove wallpaper in bathroom – any recommended tool? Tips?
ALSO – we're thinking of installing a Bunnings kitchen. Checked out IKEA but too expensive. Anyone have any feedback on Bunnings kitchens?
Thanks in anticipation.
Carlin
Depending upon the type of wall paper you would be best served by hiring a wall paper steamer.
I don't know how a kitchen will look in your bathroom
I've removed wallpaper before by using a big sponge and just really soaking the paper – it just peeled off. Although your situation may be different, as it's in the bathroom – a special glue may have been used to ensure it stayed on, as it's a high moisture environment.
Sorry, I should've said I used water to soak the wallpaper! Whoops.
I installed a Bunnings flat pack a few months ago in a 2 bedroom unit. Came out really nice. Only problem is if you rplanning to use granite benchtops then stick away from the flat packs with the plastic legs. If your going with the laminate benchtops then they look great. Easy to install.
Just one tip, remember to put the corner cupboard shelves in before you put the benchtop on. Thats the only small issue I had.
Thanks everyone.
Now tracking down a steamer to remove wallpaper because I doubt the soaked sponge is going to work.
And no, Scotty, we are not relocating the kitchen in the bathroom!
cheers,
CarlinAaargh wallpaper!!….lucky you only have one room to remove…unlike an entire house full of the stuff we had to remove. If it is vinyl (which is most likely being in the bathroom), you will first need to remove the vinyl layer with a metal scraper, becaue a steamer will not get through to the paper, then you repeat the process with the steamer…it will be your new BF if you leave it on the wall long enough so the paper literally peels off the wall. Enjoy!
I recently purchased an IP with 40 years worth of wallpapering….you could guess the decades after removing the layers….they literally just papered over the old with the new….
After considering an expert, I decided to do the job myself. All it took was elbow grease and plenty of hot water & sugar soap! I used a scraper to remove the really stubborn areas but found that if you really soaked the walls with hot water & sugar soap it dissolved the glue and the walls came up perfect! I also removed as much of the 'paper' by hand….just ripped it off the walls to leave behind the glue and a thinner porous layer of paper.
I am not sure of the type of wall paper or glue that would be used in a bathroom but I found this method ideal.
I hope this helps!Thanks for that tip. I'll try your approach first and if it doesn't work then I'll hire a steamer.
cheers,
CarlinOn the topic of flatpax kitchens such as bunnings, ensure you research costs.
I recently renovated my 2br unit with a new kitchen which is open planned, due to the size of the kitchen and use of granite benchtops and customisations, it worked out cheaper to have a cabinet maker and stone mason to create and install. worked out approx 8k all up, compared to 9k flat pax.
Cheapest in bits and pieces is not always cheaper than getting a professional.
Do your research,
Also consider, splashbacks, powerpoints, lighting, painting and applicances.
Don't forget to ensure the design is also user friendly…a good resource is: http://www.dynamicspace.com/dynamicspace/en/02/02/index.html
Cheers,
MiikeThanks Mike. I've just got back from Bunnings. I'm yet to cost it all. It's just a small kitchen so I won't be needing to buy much, but I will take your advice and see if I can find a cabinet-maker who's willing to put something together for me.
Your unit sounds much more upmarket than mine. This is an upstairs, middle unit in 1970s block of six. Good near city location but not that spacious. Certainly not worth granite benchtops.
Cheers,
Carlin
I renovated a 70's downstairs unit back in November 2008…. it was the first place I had renovated and opted for the Bunnings kitchen…. It came up much better than anticipated and when I sold it the kitchen was definitely a talking point.
I'd have no qualms in using a bunnings kitchen in my next renovation project!
Bunnings Kitchens-
Large chains such as these are able to produce cheap kitchens and maintain profit margin, by having all of the board manufactured and cut in China. Great for the budget, however, unfortunately you get what you pay for. The board they use is very inferior to the board your local cabinet maker would use. If you so much as spill a drop of liquid, you will find your carcases bloat like roadkill on the Plenty Hwy.
If you are confident enough to install your kitchen, then you should have no problems building the units.Research your local area for a small cabinet maker. They will be able to cut a flatpack kitchen out of quality materials for the same price as you will get t the chains.
Yes, the Bunnings and Ikeas, make assembly easy etc, but if you can't put a simple box together (Base unit) then maybe rethink installing yourself, as this is actually the hard part!Adrien
Hi Carlin
As mentioned above yes a steamer will work but will only remove the top layer of paper (if it is paper). If the wall paper is vinyl (which it maybe in a bathroom) unless you can penetrate the front backing the steamer wont be very effective because it is water proof. You need to use a Paper Tiger $24.20 (small circular tool with blades- to create holes) from Bunnings this perforates the wallpaper letting steem through.
I have done this before and it worked very well
Cheers
Don’t listen to this – steamer will remove as many layers of paper as you need. I don’t find Paper Tiger useful at all. But it comes with a steamer when you hire it anyway (about $40 a day for a set). You'll probably need it for half a day only.
If your wallpaper has a vinyl top coat – just tear it off before steaming. It comes off easily and in large pieces. It will take 15minuts to scratch it off the whole bathroom. After this is done steaming will be a piece of cake.
The only thing to worry about – you never know what’s under the wallpaper until you remove it. Your walls may be damaged, patched, etc.
As for the Flatpax…
I’m a big fan of it! Used it on most of my reno projects in last 3 years. All of my properties are rentals and there were no damage to any of my kitchens done yet.
The biggest worry with Flatpax always is ordering process! I never had much luck with Bunnings staff – half an order was always lost, misplaced, forgotten, etc. But once you got pass delivering process – the rest is easy.
I may not use Flatpax for an upmarket property. But it works well for any middle class property.
Well we have decided to panel over the wallpaper. Bunnings has panels of what looks like lining boards for $59 a sheet (yes cheating I know
)Just an update as we are now nearing end of renovating this 2br unit and plan to have it on market in two weeks.
Bathroom wallpaper came off quite easily with the soaking-and-scraper method.
Tiled over the floor tiles and it's come up a treat.
Decided to stay with existing kitchen cupboards and just repainted and put new handles + put in Bunnings overhead cupbds w glass doors. All ties in well. Just found that the existing units were in such good nic it seemed too wasteful to rip them out.
New benchtops + knocked a hole in wall between kitchen and lounge and put in a severy bar (same benchtop laminate so ties win well with kitchen). This has really added value, I think, because the place feels so much better.
Thanks everyone for you help. I'm going to write another post as need advice on floors.
cheers,
Carlin
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