Couple of urgent wallpaper questions

[homefromhell]

hi guys,

i have two different problems in two rooms and hope someone can advice ASAP.

1. In my lounge, my baby daughter has drawn blue pen mark lines over plain wallpaper (not washable or painted)...is it possible to remove these?

2. I am currently decorating my living room. Everything is done and walls are ready to be wallpapered. Now this is a standard victorian room with a chimney breast. I want to do the chimney breast in a dark wallpaper and the rest of the room in lighter wallpaper. So what i really want to know is where's the best place to start wallpapering from and how?

 

[misterhelpful]

Ink can often be removed from wallpaper with a little hairspray. You should either spray a small amount onto the surface, allow to soak for a few seconds and dab lightly with a white cloth or some cotton wool or just try dabbing a little on with the cloth. The area would then need to be wiped clean with a damp cloth to remove the residue from the hairspray. Lemon juice is also another option which again can be dabbed on with a cloth/cotton wool. However, as you say that your wallpaper isn't washable then I would have my doubts regarding the use of either method. You would need to test either way in an inconspiuous area first to find out whether the paper would be damaged.

As for the wallpapering, I would paper all of the main walls first and then do the chimney breast. The usual way to paper a feature chimney breast would be to start in the centre and work your way around both external corners and finish with a neat cut at the internal corners. You should work out the drops so that you have at least 2" wrapping around each corner. This may mean having the first drop in the centre of the breast or the joint of two drops on the centre line of the breast. This will ensure that there will be no problems with the paper sticking around the corners and will also give you enough paper to splice a join on the side walls if the corners are out of plumb. Where you actually start will be governed by any pattern that you may want to be equidistant from each external corner, so this will need to be considered and may mean that the paper won't start in the dead centre of the breast.

 

[TheDec]

Judging by your description of the wallpaper I would doubt that you would be able to remove the ink without causing further damage, you say that your wallpaper is not washable and plain in appearance if this is so and the paper is paintable you could consider applying an emulsion paint. If this should be the case you should first seal the stained areas with a thinned oil based undercoat. Just an alternative suggestion in case things don't go according to plan.

Dec

 

[homefromhell]

thanks for your advice guys,

lets just forget about the pen marks as i'm gonna paint over the paper.

regarding the wallpapering - shall i start one corner of the room for the majority of the wallpaper and then once wallpapered around the 3 walls, i then start from the center of the chimney breast?

any chance of a basic diagram?

thanks