Demo is mostly accomplished! Tearing out the carpet and pad were the least of the issues. All that kneeling and crouching wasn't super comfortable, but that part of the demolition was straightforward and surprise-free. I realized after the fact that I don't think I took a photo of just the carpet, but this one gives you the idea; dingy tan shag with really obvious seams.
What you see sitting on the carpet is a piece of the fake paneling, some of the base moulding, a piece of the plastic moulding that went with the paneling, and the end of a piece of the chair rail. Speaking of all that, look what that paneling did to the wall! Why? Well, instead of using panel nails, they used panel adhesive. I realize that's probably standard, but I sure wish more people in the industry on all sides would consider more carefully the un-doing of their products when designing and executing their installation methods. This is what "the next guy", me in this case, is left to deal with.
I'm just trying to remember to be grateful that they paneled not quite half the room and only to chair rail height. There is at least a sheet of this stored in the shop loft, so it really couldn't been worse.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
THERE IS A REASON THERE IS A DRYWALL TEXTURE SPECIFICALLY FOR APPLYING WALLPAPER!
Anyway... the wallpaper. Oh, sweet baby Bigfoot, the wallpaper! The steamer could not handle the painted-over-ness of it. This method has worked for me in the past, but not this time. Sigh. And indeed, just like every single other roll of the stuff in this house, it was applied directly to the drywall which at least this time seems to have been primed. Still, this is what removing it did. Those dark spots are the torn drywall paper bits. Admittedly, this is the worst of it as I got better at finessing it off as I continued around the room.
BONUS BITCHING! During all of the various projects we've done around here over six-and-a-half years, there have been a few, repeated, uh..., issues that indicate that whoever did the drywall here, was not an expert. Or even really especially competent. The first thing we noticed, and by far the most common issue, is that just about every single hole for the electric boxes - switches, outlets, and fixtures - is cut too large. This means that the outlets are not secure and that some plates and most of the light fixtures we've bought to replace the old, dated ones do not cover the holes. I'll replace the outlets and switches to fix these. I've had to add small medallions on three ceiling fixtures in the house so far and hope that I won't have to do another.
But that's not what I want to show now. What I want to show now are these examples of what I'm starting to think of as Bullshit Workmanship.
Yes, that's the same image as the first in this post. Apparently there was some kind of significant savings in time or money to not finish the corners behind the chair rail. Oh, and this. This part where they didn't think that the whole surface above the closet opening needed drywall, just allllmost all of it. It's not just this little bit either, it's all along that top edge.
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THE BREAKDOWN
Phase I
1. Empty that room!
2. Remove base moulding
3. Remove closet doors & hardware
4. Remove the carpet and pad
5. Remove tack strips and staples
6. Remove chair rail and paneling
7. Determine if wall paper is removable
8. repair walls
9. prime walls and ceiling
10. paint walls and ceiling
11. decorative finish(es)?
12. Replace light fixture
13. Replace switches and outlets, covers
14, make and install closet shelves, etc.
15. prime existing subfloor x 2
16. pour self-leveling subfloor
17. install LVP
18. reinstall base moulding
19. reinstall closet doors
20. install transition piece at doorway
21. make window covering
22. install window covering
Phase II
1 - ?. Build built-in bookshelves
... Finish last course of flooring
... Add base shoe or other moulding
