On Oct 16, 3:13*pm, "
wrote:
Jean wrote:
I want to repaper the walls in the kitchen. I was hoping to avoid taking the old paper down, but there are gaps between the seams in the old paper and I thought they might show through on the new paper. Will they show through? If so, is there any sort of "filler" that I can use to get rid of the gaps before repapering?

Thanks,

Jean

I have papered a number of rooms,and would never paint or paper over old
paper. *Remove it comepletely; spackling seams will not hide them. *I
papered a kitchen years ago with a good vinyl coated paper. *The kitchen
got dirty and steamy, as we had no exhaust hood. *Even with many
cleanings, it stayed intact for the 13 years afterward that I lived in
the house.

I strip paper using coarse sandpaper to cut the surface, spray with warm
water, soak, spray again, soak, and start gently scraping. *Don't need
chemicals, as water softens the paste.

I learned from a pro to use half-strength paste on pre-pasted paper,
rather than immersing pre-pasted in plain water. *Have done it both ways
with good results. *Gotta be careful not to stretch the paper when you
apply it to the wall, as that is what leaves gaps (cheap paper may also
shrink).

In kitchens and baths, I run a very fine line of silicone caulk along
the bottom of the paper - moisture/steam can run down the wall and seep
under edge. *I also caulked along the edge of the paper in our master
bath that runs along the corner of the shower stall - paper has been
there about 10 years with no loose corners or seams. *I taped the edge
of the paper where it adjoins the tile so that the caulk line is white
and same color and width as the tile grout joint; very light
application, smoothed out and tape removed right away.

Thanks! I'm not the OP, but I'm saving that great advice for if and
when!