Replacing wallpaper

[rswirtz]

We are getting settled in and I am scrubbing everything and making notes on what needs fixed.

The wallpaper in the head needs replacing. It is the original paper. Has anyone used a material other than wallpaper on the walls in the head? If not, what type of wallpaper do you recommend? There is quarter inch plywood underneath the paper.
Thanks for any advice you can share.

Kate
1973 38' FBDC

 

[Angela]

Kate,

I just recently finished scraping off that old, original wallpaper with the intent to re-paper. I was pleased to find formica covered walls (a Hatteras original) underneath instead of raw plywood. Initially, I had intended to re-paper the heads, but since the walls underneath cleaned up so well, I decided to leave them the solid off-white color that they are, and instead, pull color into there with towels that coordinate with the decor of each head's corresponding stateroom, and curtains that coordinate with the stateroom for each head, as well. I really didn't want to put wallpaper back in the boat unless I absolutely had to. I got lucky. The formica was in great shape, was solid (meaning no seams in the middle of any wall), and with a coat of ordinary car or boat wax, will shine like brand new. Since I'll be chartering this boat, the formica surface will be easier to keep clean and I won't have to deal with peeling wallpaper that often occurs in the heads.

In your case, if a formica skin is not already there, I don't know how easy it would be to install it now. However, if I had raw plywood walls, I'd be covering them in afromosia veneer that matches the rest of the boat rather than any other solid surfacing like formica. That would be my first choice if I were going to put that kind of labor into resurfacing. There are varying degrees of thickness for the veneers that get glued on, just like your other interior surfaces probably are.

Another member, Sky, has remodeled his heads very nicely, including new wallpaper. He has posted some photos which you can find on the forum. I don't believe his wife used anything special other than a vinyl wallpaper like you use in a house's bathroom, and he'd have to say what kind of surface she papered over - given the year of his boat, I'm guessing he had formica skins, as well.

I would imagine that covering a plywood surface with wallpaper, you may need to use some sort of backing or liner to get a smooth finished look, unless your wood is already very smooth.

Remember to take before and after photos!

 

[Capt.Erich]

You can use pretty much any kind of wall paper you want the key is making sure you have all of the old glue removed. Also you want to use a quality glue. Remember, you are putting up a wall covering in a room that is going to be damp and humid... don't forget this room is on a boat... a damp and humid place

Something to consider about the wall paper... expensive wall paper may not hold up as well in this environment as some cheaper products. The humidity plays a big role in the longevity. I have seen some owners pick out high dollar wall paper only to have it destroyed by mildew after one season in the islands.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

That's right, Ang. We did repaper all three heads. It was a big job, but it was made easier by replacing the toilets, headliner, and flooring at the same time. This way you remove all of the things that are in the way. The paper was a vinylized paper that was prepasted. The bulkheads were mostly formica underneath with one wall that was afromosia plywood in the fwd head. It had been prepped before, though, with some sort of primer or sizing.

One tip that I can give that results in a real finished professional look and also keeps out moisture is to caulk the edges. I use PolySeamSeal. In this case I used white, but clear is good too. It is water based so you can lay down a bead and then wipe it with those wet baby wipes. What is left is just a fine line of caulk in the corners and it really looks great. (Learned that trick from my brother-in-law who is a cabinet maker and trim carpenter).

Here is a picture of the finished product:

 

[thoward]

We repapered our Egg, in addition to the above advice I would suggest to use paste even with prepasted paper.

 

[Akyla]

I redid the head in a Topaz I owned replacing all the pealing wallpaper with formica. Using the fomica made a very durable and easy to clean wall surface, which was important in that boat as it seamed everyone who tried to use the head at sea ended up getting seasick! I had the joy of that clean up a dozen times...

The biggest problem was cutting the mica to fit the irregular shapes that were in there. Alot of the edges and seams ended up being trimed out in teak strips and edges. The job was a bit time consuming but turned out to be a nice finish. The Hatt would be easier as the wall and bulheads are generaly straighter, but the cabinet door openings more plentiful so some router trim work would be required after glueing in place. using the laminates is not that difficult, but a few practice seasons would be in order if you haven't done it before.
Maybe I will get lucky and find mica under my aging wallcovering like Angela did. At least now there is hope...

 

[Trojan]

My wife redid the heads on our boat. She used a textured type paint on the walls from Ralph Lauren. It had granules that look and felt like sand. Its white with blue and tan granules. It turned out really nice. I was surprised. There was wall paper up before.
BILL

 

[Starman]

Formica/veneer.......pretty self explanatory for looks. I replied in the tech catagories under a veneer thread about the how 2 on that.

But I would use the 1/8 ( what I call veneer ) for the bathroom....not the thin stuff, like regular veneer.

Same goes for formica.............make a paper pattern, trace/cut/witness marks/spray adhesive/.......one shot to get it right.

On an old Burger (sp ) I was working on , the owner had a lady come in and do extensive wallpaper work.

She used a thick backing paper that she said was made with some sort of clay material. It was brown. She also used a different type of adhesive than the regular paste.

6 years after the job, it looked like it was brand new.

I saw another person use your regular spackling paste ( wall board repair) and smooth up a plywood wall in the master stateroom before applying the wallpaper. It looked really good.

But I understand it only looked good for about a year..........

 

[rswirtz]

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to go with vinyl wall paper since there is just plywood beneath the existing paper and I have experience papering. The pics posted of the wallpaper redo were great. That turned out beautiful, hope mine turns out just as nice. Now the chore for me is to pick the right paper, which will take me some time. I visited another Hatt this week and they had just redone their paper and used beadboard on the bottom half. It looked really nice. I'll be sure to take before and after pictures. I'm going to need to replace the light above the mirror and the mirror I think... and the floor needs new vinyl too. So much to do, so little time!

Thanks again for all the expert advice.

Kate

 

[Werner Schoenknecht]

If the wallpaper is sound and only a fresh appearance is desired has anyone tried a sponge paint finish?

 

[labrador]

Just don't do it as a husband/wife team. It's the quickest way to get to divorce court!!!!