The nighmare in my kitchen

[asprentz]

The kitchen in this house is literally a nightmare. I need lots of help! First off, the previous owners wallpapered on top of the drywall, then wallpapered several times on top of the previous wallpapers. I got most of it off, and it left a few chunks missing from the drywall in a few places. So, someone told me I either had to replace all the drywall, or...wallpaper. I decided to buy the wallpaper that you paint. To make a long story short, it looks like crap and it's coming down. Now, will I have to put up new drywall, or is there something I can spread on the walls to make them smooth so I can paint over? Or is there some thin wallboard or something like that I can put up and then prime, then paint it?


Next question.... The fan over the stove has GOT to go. It is from the 1960's or 70's, and it's disgusting. It doesn't even work, not that I'd use it. But, underneath the fan and on the wall behind the stove is a formica. This formica has a hole about the size of a bowling ball that opens to the outside. There is a ( I don't know what they are called) vent thing outside, I suppose where the air is/was supposed to go, but the hole is just there. I am thinking it was from a previous fan and they just left the hole. I have a new fan, but it is smaller than the one that is in there now. I haven't put it up yet, but am wondering what I'm going to do with this mess. I'm also wondering if it's too small to put in the space. If I take a pic of it, will someone tell me what I need to do?

Then there's the problem with the wall above the cupboards. The wall sticks out, it overhangs and I want to make it flush with the cupboards. I am pretty sure I'm not describing it good enough, so I will take pics of it too.

I just want to get my kitchen decent looking. Believe it or not, the house is a pretty nice house, but it needs alot of work. Can someone advise me?

Anne

[LazyPup]

There are as many ways of removing wallpaper as their are people attempting to remove it, and over the years I guess I have been fool enough to try about all of them. I have finally settled upon a method that works very well for me.

First you have to score the surface of the paper without doing unnecessary damage to the wall material behind the wall paper. Lowes, Home Depot and most paint stores carry a very handy tool for this. It has a plastic body with a set of three rotary star wheel cutters on the underside. You simply rub it on the wall and the star wheels continually make pinhole perforations in the wallpaper.

Once the wallpaper has been scored in this manner a chemical remover can be wiped on with a sponge and it will soak through the pin holes softening the wallpaper paste. (I have tried dozens of commercial wallpaper removing chemicals with varing degress of success until I read a "Hints from Heloise" colum where they suggested using a solution "Downy Fabric Softener & water". To my surprise it works great, and is certainly cheaper.

They also have a low angle blade tool that will quickly scrape the old wallpaper off once the adhesive has been softened.

With the wallpape removed and after the excess wallpaper adhesive has been washed off, no doubt you will have some imperfections in the sheetrock that need repairing before you paint. Skim them with lightweight spackling, allow an hour to cure, light sand if necessary and paint away.

I would first paint with a good quality sealing primer such as Kilz or Zinser, allow that to dry thoroughly then apply the finish coat.

In a worst case scenario where you feel replacing the sheetrock is necessary their is two options. You can remove and replace the existing sheetrock, or you could apply another layer of 3/8 sheetrock over the existing sheetrock. When applying a second layer it is best to run it at right angle to the first layer. (if the existing sheetrock is vertical, hang the second layer horizontal.)

You stated in your post that the existing sheetrock above the cabinets extends out over the cabinet fronts. In most instances the walls were originally made straigh and framing was installed above the cabinets to create a false wall. You could then remove the sheetrock and framing and reframe a false wall so new sheetrock would fit flush with the front of the cabinets.

[HayZee518]

The bowling ball hole is from the old style vent fan without a grease trap in it. The auto damper is mounted outside. It is probably a 7 inch fan with a built in shroud. You'd pull a chain inside and it would start the fan and open the louver. Nutone still nakes a fan of this type.
Fixing the hole - you'd need remove the formica and the outside louver. You'll have to cut three "sleepers" 2X4s that are there for support (they don't bear any weight) Put one inside on the left, one on the right and one in the center. Fasten with sheetrock screws, then sheetrock and siding outside.

[Moonmaedyn]

Is your new fan a "hood?" You will still need a hole in the wall for installation of the exhaust. Probably not as big, but...

They also make a cover that most people use for covering an old hole that was for a stove pipe. You could probably use one for a temporary measure until you finish the outside as Hayzee suggests.

[Moonmaedyn]

LP--That tool for wallpaper removal is called a "Paper Tiger" and they are fabulous. So is DIF for removing the wallpaper.

As for the cupboard thing, I guess you'll have to figure out HOW they have the overhang constructed. We have a multi-level ceiling (obviously a drug induced remodel) that has fifteen can lights installed around the perimeter. I couldn't figure out how the devil they'd done it until I tore out a wall and got a good look at what was going on. They did a basic 2x4 framing, then installed the sheetrock to make a "box" then installed the can lights. Out of the three levels, we discovered the middle level is actually the true ceiling. They had even cut into the joists for the second floor to do this horrific thing with the weird third level. Sometimes you want to meet the people that used to live in your house just to ask them WHAT THE ????? they were thinking. Or to just slap 'em really good.

[asprentz]

As far as the hole goes, couldn't I just put some insullation in the hole and cover it up with some tileboard or something like that? All that formica is coming off and I want to put some tile or something back there..whatever is appropriate. The outside is brick and I don't really want to mess with that.

I'm adding these pics so you can see what I mean about the overhang. It looks SO bad! Ok, so I tried to paint the kitchen and believe it or not, it looks better than what it did before, but I'm going to totally redo everything and learn how to do it the right way.

As far as the fan goes, the one I bought is a hood fan that but it's only 30 inches and the one that's in there is bigger. I also have the problem with that tall cupboard like thing hiding the water pipe. I'd love to get rid of that, but I'm not sure what to do there. The water pipe sticks out too far and I think something would have to be there because the overhead cupboard extends out over it. Any suggestions on what to do with that? By the way, I just thought I'd add that if we had the money to pay someone to do it right, we would, but unfortunately, we are just poor folk trying to get by and get our first house ( and last!) looking liveable.