People that hate cats will come back as wallpaper in their next life
March 14, 2016 1:03 PM   Subscribe

My walls look like this thanks to the arrival of two kittens with very sharp claws. The two vicious monsters have finally learned to use their scratcher but the damage is already done. What's the cheapest way to make the walls look not entirely awful?

I'm renting here and I don't want to replace all the wallpaper until I'm leaving as I don't want to risk having to pay more than once if the cats decide the new paper feels nicer than their scratcher (I've already said goodbye to the deposit).

Remove everything? Temporary wallpaper? Fabric wallpaper?
posted by Memo to Home & Garden (10 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Remove and paint a neutral color.
posted by cecic at 1:04 PM on March 14, 2016 [6 favorites]


Rearrange furniture to cover the damage? Hang mirrors/posters/whatever over select areas?

Or, as above: Strip the wallpaper and paint the walls.
posted by Michele in California at 1:08 PM on March 14, 2016


I agree, something neutral. Get one that's easy to scrub (says something like "kid proof") because they can make marks when they rub against the walls.
posted by SMPA at 1:09 PM on March 14, 2016


Best answer: Yeah, you're going to remove that wall paper and then patch and paint the wall. Contact the landlord and get permission in writing first. No sense in running afoul, the landlord may chip in for it. Bonus!

Having done it in my former home, I have some tips for you.

1. Get a scraper and see what comes off easily. That stuff looks pretty ratchet, you could probably pull huge hunks of it down, just as your adorable kittens did, by tugging with your fingers.

2. Get Dif, and saturate the fuck out of what's left on the wall. If there are large pieces, get a scorer. It perforates the remaining paper allowing the Dif to soak in and loosen the glue.

3. This is a MESSY job, get enormous lawn and leaf bags for all the yukky paper.

4. Once the walls are stripped, get some spackle or joint compound and do some patching. YouTube will have videos if you've never done it before.

5. Move the furniture and spread a good, canvas tarp, tape it down. Don't skip this step. Also, tape anywhere you don't want paint on stuff. My sister does this without a net, no tape, no tarp. Unless this is your business, don't do that.

6. Put a coat of Latex primer on there. Zinsser Kilz gets the Bunny seal of approval. Does a great job, easy to clean up.

6. Pick a neutral color and then get it in a 'barely-there' version. Pick something nearly white on your paint chip selector. I once picked Antique White, thinking it would be slightly ivory....SUNSHINE! I did the whole house in it (professional painters in new construction.) I gulped and lived with it. Also, consider the amount of gloss you want. I'd say eggshell, not too glossy, but not so chalky that it will stain easily.

Note: I rented a wallpaper steamer. It was a bitch to use and it was nearly worthless. Especially with that psedo-vinyl crap. If your paper is being super stubborn, saturate with water, then carefully scrape. You don't want to take off the paper layer on your dry-wall.

Lock the kitties in another room while this is going on. Just do.

Happy Project!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:22 PM on March 14, 2016 [2 favorites]


I'm worried you might do more damage by removing the wallpaper and painting the wall. If I was your landlord, I'd want to know about it and get a say in what you do. You could suggest the removal and painting, but tell them that you wanted to check-in with them first. I like the moving furniture in front of it idea too.
posted by Toddles at 2:09 PM on March 14, 2016


Response by poster: This apartment is tiny and most torn spots are in weird places so moving furniture around is a no go sadly.

I have avoided thinking about painting because this is a rental but I guess if I cover it with wallpaper before I leave it shouldn't be a problem. I want to avoid talking to my landlord if it's at all possible until I'm ready to pay for the wallpapering.

I'm worried you might do more damage by removing the wallpaper and painting the wall.

Now I'm worried, I thought that both processes were boring and slow but relatively safe for the walls?
posted by Memo at 2:30 PM on March 14, 2016


I also vote to get the landlord involved. That wallpaper looks old to begin with, and a neutral/white painted wall would be more modern and much easier to maintain than wallpaper, so the repair would be in the landlord's best interest. S/he would probably want to hire painters, and they go sooooo much faster than DIY :)

We also just had to have a wall skimmed at our place because the paint was peeling off - presumably the effect of wallpaper some time in the past, not removed correctly, and then painted over.
posted by Drosera at 4:37 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


Painting is way more low-skill than wallpapering FYI. And that wallpaper looks old to start with, so painting would be an upgrade.
posted by cecic at 4:39 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


Why do you think you will have to wallpaper before you leave? The paint will look much better than the original wallpaper did, and it looks like the wallpaper was at the end of its life anyway if mere kittens were able to tear off such huge hunks of it. Wallpaper was an unfortunate fashion trend a couple of decades ago. Paint looks much more contemporary, lasts better, is easier to do, and is much easier to change out when the time comes. (Multiple coats of paint looks a lot better than multiple layers of wallpaper.)

Your landlord would probably prefer paint, but wasn't interested in redoing the walls until another tenant or two had been through. If you get permission first the landlord probably will be totally fine with it and may even be willing to front some of the cost.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:58 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


You definitely don't want to re-paper while the kittenbeasten live there - they'll think you replaced it just for them.

Speak to your landlord but I'm sure they'll prefer paint. It's so much easier to maintain. Anyone can accidentally wreck wallpaper (eg moving furniture) with paint you generally just get a scratch that can be removed.
posted by kitten magic at 6:40 PM on March 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


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