ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 4 of 20
u2190 Living Room Renovation Vol.3: Intercom Removal u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.5: Wallpaper Removal u2192
Hi there u2014 DIY Dad here! Continuing the first-floor living room renovation. The order jumps around a bit, but this step is floor protection before the messy work begins. Materials used: masking film (the roll-out kind with integrated tape), masking tape, and newspaper.
Strictly speaking, for a simple wallpaper swap you wouldn’t normally need such elaborate floor protection. But since this was DIY Dad’s first time doing this, I decided to err on the side of caution.
Sheets of newspaper and advertising flyers taped together with masking tape to cover the floor. In a proper renovation job you’d use dedicated floor protection sheeting, but DIY Dad went the frugal route and used newspaper to cut costs.
2026 Update u2014 The Big Picture of the Living Room Renovation
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The living room was by far the most involved part of the whole renovation u2014 wallpaper removal, substrate prep, roof leak repair, ceiling reinforcement… Honestly, there were moments where I thought: how can there possibly be this much to do?
Start by Removing Everything Attached to the Walls
The first rule of any wallpaper replacement job is to strip everything off the walls before you start u2014 switch and outlet covers, light fixtures, curtain rails, all of it. Try to work around them and the finished result will look terrible, guaranteed.
A common beginner mistake is attempting to replace wallpaper while leaving switch plates in place. The paper bunches up around the edges, or tears. Thinking like an engineer: complete the prep stage fully before moving to the main stage.
Removing Outlet Covers u2014 What to Watch For
Turn off the breaker first u2014 that’s non-negotiable. Then it’s just a matter of unscrewing the plate. Do not touch the wires. In older buildings there may be a ground wire; that unscrews from its terminal the same way. For intercom wiring, photograph the connections before disconnecting u2014 DIY Dad does this every time.
Floor Protection u2014 More Is More
Scratching the floor during wallpaper work means a repair job on top of a repair job. Lay masking film across the entire floor with no gaps u2014 then if putty or adhesive drops, it peels right off. Skip this step and you’ll spend an hour chiseling hardened compound off your floor. For a first-time project especially, protect the floor like you mean it.
Tips for Stripping Wallpaper
Insert a wide scraper blade parallel to the wall surface and work it under the paper slowly. Ripping by force tears the drywall face paper away too. If stubborn, dampen lightly u2014 but not so much that the gypsum board absorbs water and weakens. Older wallpaper tends to come away more easily than newer paper.
Wall Substrate Prep (Puttying) Makes or Breaks the Finish
After stripping, fill screw holes and seams with joint compound. Sand smooth after drying. Mesh tape over any holes first, then skim compound over the tape. Nine times out of ten, a bad finish on new wallpaper traces back to skipped substrate prep.
Originally published: November 10, 2016 (old Seesaa blog) | Rewritten: May 7, 2026
ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 4 of 20
u2190 Living Room Renovation Vol.3: Intercom Removal u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.5: Wallpaper Removal u2192
DIY Renovation Quote Review Manual
How to read, compare, and negotiate contractor quotes. This manual saved me u00a5800,000 on a single renovation project.
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15 years of landlord experience u00b7 3 apartment buildings u00b7 DIY renovations that saved millions of yen. Browse all articles at diytosan.com
