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dlt123me's avatar
dlt123me
Explorer
Jan 28, 2016

Small Leak Caused Wallpaper To Warp & Buckle

I have a small leak in my MH and it has caused one panel of my wallpaper in my bedroom to warp with rolls and waves. I am fixing the leak first then tackling the wallpaper afterwards..

I am wondering what to do, since I will not be able to find a replacement wallpaper to match the existing paper I've been thinking of ways to fix that strip of paper. I'm asking for ideas of what to do without taking all the paper down and putting up new WP all around.

I've been thinking of taking down that one section of WP and running an iron with low heat over the waves and warps to iron out of the wallpaper then putting it back up. Can you iron wallpaper, on very low heat, to take out waves and warps?

My concern is that I will possibly tear the WP if I try to take it down... It's only one section and the seam is up from the wall, so I can slip some glue behind the wallpaper if I decide to not take it down and iron it while in place on the wall.

What do others think, is there a better way to fix this or should I strip out that section completely and replace with something else... such as a fabric or lining? Is my ironing idea crazy?

Of course I will wait till the inside walls are completely dry before trying to re-glue or iron the paper.

Any help is appreciated.. Thanks,

Dennis
________
Class A
  • dlt123me's avatar
    dlt123me
    Explorer
    Apr 25, 2016
    Update --- Update --- Update --- Update --- Update --- Update

    Well, I found the leak and used the proper sealant to fix it. As for the wallpaper, I didn't have to do much since after it dried, it didn't show much buckling. I did use glue and dabbed some behind the WP and it seems to have stuck to the wall.

    Because of the nature of the Wall Paper, it doesn't show that there was a leak, so I am just going to let it alone...

    Oh, and I did try to iron the waves and buckling of the Wall Paper with an Iron on very low heat, but it didn't do anything... so it was a bust. But worth a try.

    Thank you EVERYONE here at AV.NET for being so helpful. I love this place and hope I am able to help someone else who stumbles onto this thread. You have not only helped me, but others who find this thread.

    Take care and Happy RVing.

    Dennis
  • dlt123me's avatar
    dlt123me
    Explorer
    Jan 30, 2016
    Great ideas people. I have some good things to try now. Hope this helps other who stumble onto this thread.

    Thanks all,
    Dennis
  • -Gramps-'s avatar
    -Gramps-
    Explorer
    Jan 29, 2016
    Gjac wrote:
    I would first try to heat it with a heat gun and see if it will soften a bit then try to rub the gapped paper back to the wall. If it sticks and holds I would do the rest of it the same way. If not I would use the other suggestions posted.



    Sounds like a good plan to me.
  • Gjac's avatar
    Gjac
    Explorer III
    Jan 29, 2016
    I would first try to heat it with a heat gun and see if it will soften a bit then try to rub the gapped paper back to the wall. If it sticks and holds I would do the rest of it the same way. If not I would use the other suggestions posted.
  • -Gramps-'s avatar
    -Gramps-
    Explorer
    Jan 29, 2016
    I had a wall paper border do the same thing, horizontally as opposed to vertically of course. I made a paste of Elmer's White glue and water, used a long cotton swab and worked the glue along the back of the paper. You might be able to roll your paper back, apply the glue with a sponge and then smooth it out back towards the seam as you slowly press it down helping it to stick.
  • dlt123me's avatar
    dlt123me
    Explorer
    Jan 28, 2016
    Here are some pictures to help show my problem...









    Thank you for those who have voiced their help so far... I appreciate it very much...

    Dennis
  • Dick_B's avatar
    Dick_B
    Explorer
    Jan 28, 2016
    Who says the `wallpaper' has to match? Some designers on HGTV will paint or otherwise decorate one wall in a room that is markedly different from the others. Just saying...
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Jan 28, 2016
    I doubt if you have wallpaper in your RV, in the traditional sense. What you probably have is "paper" laminated plywood that is about 1/8-3/16" thick. If the "paper" has lifted and bubbled from the plywood there is a possibility that the plywood itself is damaged. The "paper" is actually a thin plastic sheet.
    In other words, you have to confirm the extent of the damage and then decide if the wall is solid before you attempt any repair to the plastic covering. If you are certain that it is all dry, you MAY be able to smooth out the bumps with a very low setting on the iron. You have little to lose but be very careful.
  • ksg5000's avatar
    ksg5000
    Explorer
    Jan 28, 2016
    I had side window leak which allowed water to get under the wallpaper in my cab-over. The wallpaper bubbled and I had a limited amt of damage to the underlying wallboard. I peeled the loose wallpaper - dried the area thoroughly - used some drywall mud to smooth the imperfection - painted the mud and applied new wallpaper. I applied matching wallpaper on the opposite wall. That was about 5 years ago and it seems to have held up well.

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