The short answer
Dream Wallpaper Installers serves Pinewood, an unincorporated Miami-Dade community about six miles east of Hialeah. Most jobs here start with removing old paper and repairing block-and-plaster walls, followed by a new wallcovering if you want one.
Pinewood is an unincorporated part of Miami-Dade County roughly six miles east of our shop in Hialeah, which puts it among the shorter trips our installers make. The neighborhood is mostly modest single-family houses, many of them older concrete-block homes, along with duplexes and small apartment buildings. In homes like these, the job often starts with undoing what came before: faded borders, paper someone painted over, or patched walls that never quite matched. We take care of that first, then install whatever comes next, from a classic print or textured grasscloth to a mural, a peel and stick refresh, a papered ceiling, or durable vinyl. Small businesses nearby can also book commercial wallcovering.
A step-by-step look at a typical Pinewood project
Every house is a little different, but the order of work stays fairly consistent. Here is what usually happens, start to finish:
- Walk-through: we look at each wall, note the type of surface, and test a corner of any existing paper to see how it will come off
- Protection: floors are covered, furniture is moved to the center of the room, and plates come off outlets and switches
- Removal: paper is scored, softened with steam or solution, and lifted along with its backing
- Cleanup: leftover paste is washed off, since dried adhesive under new paint or paper causes cracking and peeling
- Repair: holes are filled, loose plaster is cut back and patched, and rough spots are skim coated
- Priming: a primer suited to the new wallcovering is rolled on and allowed to dry
- Installation: strips or panels are hung, matched, smoothed, and trimmed once the seams settle
- Final pass: plates are reinstalled, scraps are bagged and removed, and the room is put back in order
Why old walls need more than a quick patch
Plaster over block is strong, but it is not elastic. Over the years, small cracks form around window and door openings, and repeated repainting builds up ridges and drips. Old wallpaper sometimes hid those flaws, and removing it brings them back into view. Rather than covering them with a thicker paper and hoping for the best, we repair them so the new finish sits on a flat, sound base.
In bathrooms and kitchens, older vinyl paper may have trapped moisture against the wall for years. When it comes down, we look for soft spots, dark staining or a musty smell that could point to a past leak. Any damp area needs to dry out, and damaged material should be replaced before anything new goes on.
Living with humidity
Pinewood is inland, but it still gets the full force of South Florida's wet season, which runs from May through October with heat, high humidity and regular afternoon thunderstorms. Wallpaper paste dries slowly in damp air, and paper that dries unevenly can shrink at the seams. Keeping the air conditioning on and the doors closed during the job and for a day after makes a noticeable difference.
Many older houses here run window units rather than central air. That works, as long as the unit in the work room stays on. If a room has no cooling at all, we will talk with you about timing the job for the drier months between November and April.
We also plan around hurricane season, from June 1 to November 30, and move dates when a storm is in the forecast.
Choosing what goes up next
Once the walls are clean and sound, the options open up. A single accent wall in the living room is a popular first step. Peel and stick works for tenants and for homeowners who like to change things often. Vinyl is the practical pick for bathrooms and kitchens. A mural can turn a child's bedroom into something special, and paper on the ceiling of a small bathroom adds personality without covering much area.
Some clients choose simply to paint after removal. That is a perfectly good outcome, and the wall will take paint far better once the old adhesive is gone.
Neighbors we also serve
Our installers regularly travel from Pinewood to Opa-locka, North Miami, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens and Miami, and we handle commercial vinyl for small offices, shops and community spaces throughout the area.
