# Wallpaper Removal



## Red Canary (Mar 16, 2007)

I have a customer interested in hiring us for wallpaper removal. The customer would like a "will not exceed" clause in the contract for the cost of labor. For wallpaper removal, I charge an hourly rate and then materials are extra. There are three rooms for wallpaper removal, the square footage is as follows: Dining Room, 666 sq. ft.; Bathroom, 216 sq. ft.; Foyer, 418 sq. ft. Does anyone have an idea on pricing for the "will not exceed"?


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

I don't do it that way (I'm a strong believer in that the hourly rate is not good for client or contractor, most of the time neither ends up happy)

I give a price, but have a "conditions unknown and/or unforeseen" clause

At this point work shall cease, and alternatives, if appropriate, shall be presented

I'm usually pretty good at figuring what it'll take and leaving myself wiggle room for the removal, so I rarely have to use the clause


Now if you want to do it that way, and if the homeowner has no idea what not to exceed, and he's letting you decide, hey...whatever you can get away with
Depending on circumstance, it could be anywhere from less time than you think to five times as much....or physically impossible (I just had one of these last summer) let's work something out


----------



## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

The size of the room isn't nearly as important as the type of paper to be removed. You need to determine what type of wallcovering it is (IE paper-backed vinyl, fabric-backed vinyl, vinyl coated, paper, mylar, foil, etc), what type of adhesive was used (IE clay, clear, cellulose, wheat, flour and water, boogers, bubblegum and spit, etc), and what the substrate was primed with if even primed at all. 

At any removal estimate, you should testdrive a small 1' X 1' spot to determnie these factors. This will give you a clue as to how it will come off. If you have no clue to the above conditions, you are flying blind. Bid it high.


----------



## Red Canary (Mar 16, 2007)

The wallcoverings are paper-backed and it's stuck on pretty good, but I feel with scoring and using DIFF, it will come off rather easily.


----------



## Red Canary (Mar 16, 2007)

I am concerned, however, that the walls in the bathroom and foyer were not sized before the paper was put up.


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Good point PWG



Red Canary said:


> ... but I feel with scoring and using DIFF, it will come off rather easily.


I never bid removal w/o a test patch


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Red Canary said:


> I am concerned, however, that the walls in the bathroom and foyer were not sized before the paper was put up.


That could be a problem
Were they at least primed/painted?


----------



## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Go light on the scoring, unless you want to patch a million pin holes in the walls. Better to scuff the paper facing with 36 grit floor sanding paper to allow the water penetration.


----------



## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Red Canary said:


> The wallcoverings are paper-backed and it's stuck on pretty good, but I feel with scoring and using DIFF, it will come off rather easily.


If you can peel off the vinyl facing exposing the paper backing, your battle is half won.


----------



## Red Canary (Mar 16, 2007)

There is a basic contractor sprayed finish from when the home was a new construction--the wall underneath looks "Dover White" and the paint looks like a flat sheen. But, dried plaster sometimes has an off-white hue. I'm looking for a ballpark on numbers to give to the customer and agree that an encompassing estimate is the best way to go and I like the idea of the clause for "unforseens".


----------



## Red Canary (Mar 16, 2007)

Also, I CAN peel off most of the vinyl in the dining room, but the foyer and bath . . . no such luck.


----------



## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

I'd tell him - it will take anywhere from so and so time to do it - and give them a time and materials estimate with no exceed clause - just that if anything doesn't go as expected, that you will inform them of what is going on. But don't put yourself at risk for doing work for free!
if you think it will take x amount of hours tell 'em it shouldn't go above 2x in time. But if you think it will - then you will let them know. That or give 'em a fixed cost estimate for triple what you would expect. Time and materials is just that - time and materials, if you put that clause in, it's like handing them a fixed cost estimate - with the option of the client paying you less if you should come under budget. Come on what's that all about?!?! Who gets have their cake and eat it too? Well your client, if your stupid enough to go along with them on something like that!

-plainpainter


----------



## chris n (Oct 14, 2003)

*Mr*

Pro says "adhesive was used (IE clay, clear, cellulose, wheat, flour and water, boogers, bubblegum and spit, etc),

don't forget elmers and super glue:whistling


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

...I had one this winter that used caulk

Now _that_ was fun

:hang:


----------



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

slickshift said:


> ...I had one this winter that used caulk
> 
> Now _that_ was fun
> 
> :hang:


Whew! Scrape and skim?


----------



## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

This post got me to thinking about a job I did two months ago. The house was built in the early 70's and had wallpaper on several different walls in each bedroom. 

I believe there were a total of five walls to strip. I thought well this is no big deal, I'll douse it with warm water three times and scrap away. Well it took me probably three times the amount of time I originally thought it would take. The top layer had to be scored with a paper tiger and I've never had to use one of those. Normally I can bust out wallpaper with absolutely no problem, but this paper was a different animal. The top layer didn't even want to come off. Of course the man that lives there drinks a fifth of vodka every night and smokes two packs of cigs per day. I had a hell of time with this job because of the nicotine. Oh did I mention there were three layers of wallpaper on two of the walls. Just an all around ***** of a job. Had to skim coat most of the walls too. Of course HO's don't understand all of this extra B.S. unless you actually set down at their dining room table with them and explain what's going on. Wallpaper removal can either be real simple or a nightmare IMO.


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

boman47k said:


> Whew! Scrape and skim?


Fortunately is wasn't all over, probably just what peeled back on the hack job

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure it was contact paper (like shelf/drawer paper), not actual wall covering...

Uh...yeah....lot's of scraping, Gardzing, and skimming

And of course the covering was put up because of the horrid condition of the walls themselves...ug

Fortunately, it was a very small bathroom

I did my test area before even considering the job and ended up being very accurate about the time, labor, and materials involved

I didn't expect the caulk, but it didn't add much to the over all job


----------



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

> Fortunately is wasn't all over, probably just what peeled back on the hack job


Oh, I see. I was seeing a lot more caulk, evidently, than it was actuall used. Heheh, glad it turned out okay for you. Your reply reiterates a very important point on a job like this: The reason for the paper being there to start with and the unknown. I'm thinking ho hung paper instead of repairing and painting the walls maybe.


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

boman47k said:


> I'm thinking ho hung paper instead of repairing and painting the walls maybe.


I would say that's absolutely true in the case I'm talking about

And when the (hack job) paper started pealing, they caulked it back up


----------



## SgtBaldy (Jul 14, 2006)

Nobody here uses steamers?


----------

