The Guide to Renovating Your Static Caravan Walls

Caravans are a great investment for families and couples that love the freedom to holiday whenever they please. If you have a caravan or are thinking of buying a holiday caravan, there is plenty you can do to make it yours. From changing out the soft furnishings and replacing hardware to a complete renovation. In this guide to static caravan renovation, we are going to focus on how to update or refresh your static caravan walls.

What Can I do to my Static Caravan Walls?

In terms of decoration, the sky is the limit when it comes to your static caravan, you can paint your walls, use wallpaper or simply stick to hanging your favourite photos. With any renovation, you will want to do it properly; cleaning down surfaces and pulling out anything that will slow you down, i.e. soft furnishings and hardware (drawer/door handles, power socket facias, etc). It can be slightly chaotic trying to decorate in a small space but by doing the job thoroughly, it will look better for longer and you won’t catch yourself later on finding sections that you missed or that look untidy.

Check for Damp

When you pull everything out of your caravan for renovation, carefully check over walls, in corners and behind units for signs of damp. If you are painting or wallpapering you don’t want to simply cover up a potential issue and should find the source of the damp and fix this before you get started. Not only can damp be detrimental to your physical health but it’ll soon take over your lovely new paint or wallpaper and can leave your caravan smelling musty.

Can You Wallpaper a Static Caravan?

Absolutely! Wallpapering a caravan is just like wallpapering a domestic brick and mortar property – the biggest difference is that you are working with much less space. That’s a bonus though as you can invest in some luxury or fancy wallpaper without it costing you an excessive amount.

You can use all the same tools as you would wallpapering a house but you’ll want to take the job slowly. Patience is a virtue when it comes to wallpapering your caravan as there is going to be some tight corners and awkward sections that can cause some frustration. If you don’t fancy undertaking the task yourself, talk to a local decorator or handyman about seeking the help of professional services.

After you have cleared everything out the way, give all the walls a thorough wash down using sugar soap, getting into all the potentially neglected corners, nooks and crannies. Let the walls dry fully and then begin wallpapering as normal.

A few tips for wallpapering;

• Resealable tubs of wallpaper paste are more efficient than trying to make and store your own
• Get all your tools together before you start, you don’t want to get to the point of hanging the wallpaper and realise you don’t have a knife to cut off the excess trim
• We recommend a toolkit comprising of;
  • Wallpaper
  • Wallpaper paste
  • Paste application brush
  • Snap-blade knife or sharp scissors
  • Plumb line measuring tool
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Clean, dry cloths
  • A flat spacious surface for applying the paste to wallpaper (wallpapering table or equivalent)
• Start wallpapering in a section that isn’t seen that often or can be a bit messy without taking away from the aesthetic, this will help you get used to the process
• Use a plumber’s plumb line tool (a piece of rope tied to a heavy weight) to help you align to a straight line from the first piece of wallpaper. Working to the ceiling/wall join or doorframes isn’t recommended and can often lead to tilted or angled wallpaper
• It is often easier to apply a thin layer of wallpaper paste directly to the wall, rather than applying to the paper and trying to avoid it sticking to itself when you transfer it from the table to the wall
• Overlap the wallpaper at the top and the bottom, pushing wallpaper firmly (but gently) into the join between the ceiling and wall or wall and skirting board with your clean cloth. Then trim off the excess with your craft knife/snap blade or a sharp pair of scissors
• Start at the top of the paper and lightly press (using the clean, dry cloths) down the paper to the bottom, smoothing out any creases and bubbles as you go
• Don’t panic if you make a mistake! Gently peel the paper back and then re-lay it, taking your time to remove imperfections before smoothing down your wallpaper
• Take your time. Wallpapering can be fiddly and if you rush the process, you aren’t likely to be happy with the end result. Be patient and go slow to ensure a gorgeous finish

Can You Paint Caravan Wall Boards?

Again, absolutely! Painting a caravan is possible on both interior or exterior surfaces, depending on how much of an overhaul you wish to undertake. Sometimes all that a tired looking room needs is a simple coat of paint to look fresh and updated again and a caravan is no different. The bonus of decorating the interior of your caravan is that you are normally working with a much smaller space than a brick and mortar property, helping you save both time and money.

Similar to the process for wallpapering, we recommend moving everything you can from the caravan to reduce the number of surfaces to cover and make it easier to paint. Then give your caravan a thorough clean, including using sugar soap to wash down the interior walls. Depending on the surface of your walls, you may need to give the surface a light sanding to help the paint stick better or use a primer layer, which will also assist with adhesion. You are likely to need a few coats of paint and we recommend avoiding strong-smelling paints such as gloss which can be difficult to use in small spaces with little ventilation.

If you are planning on giving everything in your caravan a fresh coat of paint, including the cupboards and doors, we recommend taking all cupboard doors off their hinges and removing drawers from their housing. Take these bits outside and paint as normal, topping up with additional layers if required. While it’s possible to paint everything in place, it’s a lot more difficult, can cause you to easily miss spots and it’s a great opportunity to clean out areas not often seen. Use some masking tape or a pencil to mark which doors and drawers go where to save you some hassle when it comes to rebuilding your caravan.

Remember to take your time, use multiple layers where necessary and inspect every corner of your caravan for missed spots or required top-ups before you start putting everything back together. The more care you put into your project and make sure everything is done correctly, the longer your overhaul is likely to look fresh and new, even for several years!

Static Caravans from Allens Caravans

Is your caravan past the point of renovation or maybe you have been helping a friend with their renovation and fancy investing in a holiday caravan of your own? Whatever your inspiration, Allens Caravans have a huge selection of fantastic, modern caravans available for purchase. With options from two bedrooms, fully-insulated and with the latest in full-size, up-to-date facilities, you will hardly want to come home again!

We have eight beautiful holiday parks across the UK on which you can site your new static caravan. Each park is located in a stunning area with convenient connections to local villages and market towns and fully immersed in nature with the coast, lakeside or riverways within walking distance.

Find your new favourite place to take a holiday with Allens Caravans today. View our brochures for more information or reach out to our team who will be more than happy to answer your queries about buying a static caravan or siting your caravan on one of our eight holiday parks.