Removing Your Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be a great way of decorating
your home. But as the years go by, it may start
to fade, peel away and become outdated.
Wallpaper Removal Tips
Before you use your wallpaper-removal
equipment, be aware that the activity can be labor
intensive and could cause severe damage to the
walls. Often when you’re in the process
of wallpaper removal, glue can become a problem.
Most wallpaper removal damage happens because
not enough primer was applied to the walls before
the wallpaper was installed. This results in the
boards on your walls, with a top layer made of
paper, absorbing the wallpaper glue. When this
happens, the top layers of wallboard will easily
come off with the wallpaper backing, damaging
your walls. If this occurs in large areas, call
a professional wallpaper removal company.
Types of Wallpaper
There are many different types of wallpaper
on the market today. Some are dry strip-able,
solid vinyl and fabric-backed papers that can
usually be removed by simply pulling them from
the wall without wetting.
Most residential wallpapers are vinyl coated.
Wallpapers that are vinyl coated are the most
common in residences. The vinyl face of these
papers is usually dry strip-able, meaning that
the face will separate and leave only the paper
backing on the wall.
The Initial Steps
Start by removing as much of the vinyl
face as possible. Get started with a putty knife
or scraper and find a loose corner.
Once the wallpaper’s vinyl facing is removed,
you should remove the wallpaper backing. You will
need to wet the paper before you remove it. Fill
a five-gallon bucket to about half full with warm
water, and add about a cap full of fabric softener.
Turn off the electricity to your room, and apply
the solution you created to the wall with a paint
roller or garden sprayer. You may use a sponge
in the corners to make sure you cover the entire
wall. Wet a four- or five-foot section of the
wall, and make sure the wall section remains saturated
with the solution for about 10 minutes. Remove
the wet backing with a small putty knife or a
scraper.
After all the backing is removed finish cleaning
the walls with a hand sponge, a fresh solution
of fabric softener and warm water. Wallpaper removal
contractors will tell you to allow the walls to
dry and apply a wallpaper primer if you plan to
re-wallpaper the walls. If you plan to paint the
walls, apply an acrylic primer/sealer to the walls
beforehand. This will all you to, after your wallpaper
removal, paint to your heart’s content.
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Things you’ll need for wallpaper
removal
Drop cloths
Plastic
Scrapers and putty knives
Rags and sponges
Ladders
Warm water, soap, vinegar
Garbage bags
Garden sprayer
Wallpaper steamer
Clean empty five-gallon buckets
Quick Guide
How to Remove Wallpaper
• Start by prepping your room. This will
require you to empty the furniture from the room
and remove all switch plates and outlet covers.
You may also want to lay plastic sheeting or a
protective cloth on the floor for protection.
• Collect the tools you will need, including:
a wallpaper scoring tool, warm water, vinegar,
spray bottle, putty knife and a sponge and bucket.
You may choose to use wallpaper removal solution
instead of water and vinegar. This can be found
at your local home and garden store.
• Run the wallpaper scoring tool over the
wallpaper. This will create thousands of holes
in the surface of the wallpaper.
• Fill the bucket half full with warm water
and the remaining half with vinegar.
• Use a sponge to rub the vinegar solution
over a small section of the wall. This solution
will seep through the holes and soften the glue
that was used to attach the wallpaper to the wall.
• Wait for 20 to 30 minutes and use a spray
bottle to lightly spray the surface with water
to keep the surface moist.
• Peel the wallpaper back from the wall’s
surface using a putty knife or a specialized wallpaper
removal knife. Spray difficult areas with more
water if necessary.
• Repeat this process again until you have
removed all of the wallpaper and the glue from
the wall’s surface.
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