A man stripping wallpaper in his home was surprised to find a large gap between the wall and window frame, hidden behind plastic trim. He shared his discovery on Reddit, seeking advice on how to fill the void.
Surprise Discovery During Renovation
In a Reddit post titled "Surprises under the wallpaper," the property owner explained that when removing the wallpaper, he found it was joined onto plastic trim that covered a massive gap. Photographs showed the scale of the opening, with his hand placed for scale.
He asked: "A) What's the best to use to fill the external gap? B) How do I make the internal gap? So many gaps *sad face symbol."
Reddit Users Offer Solutions
Commenters quickly suggested using expanding foam and trim. One wrote: "Omg you got the free air con upgrade. Requires a bit of chalk. Foam it up and retire or plaster over it."
Another advised: "Low expansion window and door foam would be best bet. Protect the outside or it will all come out the front if you aren't careful. Trim once it sets and silicone on the outside and trim on the interior or fill and decorate to the frame."
A third commented: "No expert but I've seen expanding foam being used in such gaps followed by a UPVC trim to cover it. Seems to be what most window/door fitters use."
Wallpaper Removal Tip
In a related tip, Mike Cupit, founder of The Decorators Forum, shared a video on Instagram recommending adding orange juice to a warm water and washing-up liquid mixture to strip wallpaper in minutes. He suggested using about half a cup of fresh orange juice, which costs around £1.60 per carton.
