While removing wallpaper is not a difficult process, it does require a lot of patience. However, the result will be worth your time and effort.

Preparation steps for removing wallpaper

Why removing wallpaper is not how it used to be

It is not enough to just spray the wallpaper to soften the glue. New vinyl coated and multi layered wallpapers are designed to prevent water from getting in and softening the glue. Therefore, you must make some holes in the wallpaper surface to allow the water to penetrate.

Steps on how to strip wallpaper:

1Make holes in the surface with a wallpaper –piercing tool instead of a utility knife or the edge of a putty knife to prevent cutting too deeply. This tool can be found at a local store. It fits into one hand and you will roll it over the wall. Within the tool are a series of spiked wheels that pierce the wallpaper, which makes a lot of little holes for moisture to get through the surface and down to the glue.

2Wet the walls with a solution of warm water and vinegar using a spray bottle or bucket and sponge. Leave it on for 30 minutes. You can also purchase a non-toxic chemical that can be mixed with water.

3After the 30 minutes is up, choose a corner or a seam and begin to gently peel back on the wallpaper. It could just peel right off, but more than likely you will need to use a wallpaper scraper or a wide putty knife. Hold it at an angle to scrape the paper off in sections.

4Keep a spray bottle of the wallpaper remover next to you, so you can spray difficult areas.

5Work your way around the entire wall spraying, peeling and scraping. It is as easy as that! However, it does take patience. You do not want to just start pulling it off in big sections.

Steps to take after removing wallpaper:

You will need to clean up and repair the walls after removing wallpaper.

1Get rid of any glue that is still left on the walls with a mixture of tri sodium phosphate (TSP) and warm water. This will leave a smooth surface. Rinse the new cleaned walls with clean water to remove the TSP.

2Repair small holes from the scraper. Fill with drywall or spackling compound and then smooth them out. Let them dry overnight, then sand and primer. You are now ready to paint!

3Repair large holes or sections of the drywall paper surface that have been removed. Paint the exposed Gyproc with white shellac. The shellac will stop moisture in the drywall compound from soaking into the interior of the drywall, which will cause bulging. Patch the hole, sand and prime. Now you are ready to paint.

• Add New
• Search

Comments (0)

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Comment:

Title:

UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Do it yourself - Home