The short answer
In Miami Springs, about eight miles south of our Miami Gardens base, we strip old paper, repair plaster and drywall, then install new wallpaper, murals, grasscloth or commercial vinyl. Older walls get tested first so the finished surface stays smooth in humid weather.
Miami Springs is a compact city about eight miles south of Miami Gardens, and many of the calls we get from ZIP code 33166 start the same way: someone has bought or inherited a house with walls that have been decorated several times over. Some rooms still carry patterns from decades past. Others were painted straight over old paper, which now shows its edges through the paint. Our job in these homes is often as much about uncovering and repairing the wall as it is about hanging something new. Below we walk through what we usually find, how we fix it, and what you can expect once the fresh covering goes up.
What is under the paint?
Before we commit to a schedule, we cut a small test window in an inconspicuous spot, often inside a closet or behind where furniture will stand. That little opening tells us a lot. We may see a single layer of vinyl that peels off cleanly, two or three layers of paper fused together, paint applied directly over paper, or bare plaster that was never sealed.
Each finding leads to a different removal method. Strippable vinyl can come off dry. Porous paper usually needs scoring, warm water and enzyme solution, applied in sections so the plaster underneath does not soak through. Painted-over paper is the slowest case, and we explain that honestly so the timeline makes sense.
Repairing plaster and drywall the right way
Many houses in the area were built with concrete block exterior walls and plaster finishes inside, sometimes with drywall added in later renovations. When old paper comes off, it can leave glue residue, hairline cracks, loose patches or spots where the drywall face peeled away.
Our wall preparation work follows a set order. We wash off remaining adhesive, cut back anything loose, fill cracks with a setting compound, seal torn drywall with a stain-blocking primer so it will not bubble, and skim coat until the surface is flat under a raking light. Only then do we apply the wallpaper primer that suits the new material.
- Adhesive residue washed off and the wall rinsed clean.
- Loose plaster removed and patched with setting compound.
- Torn drywall sealed before any water-based skim coat touches it.
- Whole-wall skim coat where the surface is wavy or pitted.
- Final primer matched to the paper, grasscloth or vinyl you chose.
Choosing a new covering for an older room
Older rooms tend to have a few quirks: corners that are not perfectly square, door frames that lean slightly, and ceilings that rise or dip across the span. A busy geometric print shows every one of those flaws, while an organic pattern, a textured grasscloth or a scenic mural hides them. We talk through pattern choice with that in mind and hold a sample against the wall in daylight.
For bathrooms and kitchens, where steam and splashes are common, a washable vinyl or a properly sealed nonwoven paper lasts longer. Ceiling wallpaper works well in small entries and powder rooms where the ceiling is low and easy to reach. Peel and stick products are fine for closets and shelving backs, but we steer people away from them on fresh skim coats until the wall is fully sealed.
Humidity, storms and timing in Miami Springs
Plaster and compound need to dry completely before paper goes on, and that takes longer between May and October, when the air is heavy and storms roll through most afternoons. We plan extra drying time in those months and rely on the home's air conditioning to pull moisture from the room. In the drier stretch from November into April, repair work moves faster.
Hurricane season, from June 1 through November 30, sometimes forces a pause. If a storm brings water into the house, wait until the wall has fully dried; we can then remove damaged paper and rebuild the surface.
Also serving the neighbors
We regularly work in the communities around Miami Springs, including Hialeah, Medley, Hialeah Gardens, Opa-locka and Miami Lakes. Businesses in the area can also call on us for vinyl and commercial wallcovering in offices and shops. Send a photo of the wall and, if you can, of the test spot under the old paper, and we will outline the work ahead.
ZIP codes we serve
- 33166
Services in Miami Springs
- Wallpaper Installation in Miami Springs
- Wallpaper Removal in Miami Springs
- Accent Wall Installation in Miami Springs
- Mural Installation in Miami Springs
- Grasscloth Wallpaper Installation in Miami Springs