You Can Do your Own Bathroom Wall Renovations

July 28th, 2010 Posted in Tools and Equipment

When we moved into our slightly-used home some years back, we noticed that the wallpaper in the main bathroom was flocked, and the flocking was almost rubbed off in certain spots. It was also a large, striped pattern which made the already-very small bathroom look even smaller. We knew we had to do something about it, but we were not quite sure where to start. If you’ve been faced with a corresponding quandary, or you have a bathroom wall with a cracked tile, or there’s a hole through the sheetrock, how are you going to fix the situation? Call a professional? That might be expensive. How about doing what we did and making your bathroom wall repair yourself?

If the wallpaper in your bathroom is coming loose, damaged, or just plain ugly, you need to get rid of the old paper. There are special tools and solvents that you can use to make removing it easier. I once had a chum who had to laboriously remove about 10 layers of old-fashioned, non-removable paper, and though it had been a long, boring job, she ultimately accomplished it with excellent results. If you happen to have paper that has a removable backing, you’re really in luck. It will come off the walls without trouble, and it will leave behind a material that will make it easy to color or repaper, whatever you select to do.

Damaged tiles can be replaced if you have further tiles to use to make the repairs. It’s likely that the prior house owners who put up the tile in the 1st place had some extras that they could have left behind. If not, tile replacement just got more difficult. Some tiles are standard and may still be in production, but even then it isn’t a given that the color lots will match. Be sure to take a piece of your existing tile to the store with you to compare with the tiles you’ll find there. If you find something that seems to match, ask to take one tile home with you to see how it looks held up against the wall. You will also need to find matching grout, and that might be harder, because what you have on the wall might have discolored over a period.

Although it’s comparatively rare, you can get an occasional hole or some grim damage in your drywall. These are not as difficult to fix as you might think. You will need to assemble the tools and materials to do the job which you can find on numerous sites. You will also find how-to videos online which will demonstrate all the steps you will need to take so that you can do your bathroom wall repair yourself.