Best Way to Remove Wallpaper

What is the Best Way to Remove Wallpaper

Removing a wallpaper does not have a dreadful and stressing task. Indeed, it will take some time and a few elbow grease but if you follow the proper steps, you’ll surely end up with the glue and wallpaper totally removed and then you can easily move on to painting the walls and hanging a new wallpaper.

But first, you need to determine which type of wallpaper you have. Normally, there are two kinds. The majority of newer wallpaper is strippable while the older ones will need more labor. This article will show what is the best way to properly get rid of those two types.

FOR STRIPPABLE WALLPAPER

Materials Needed:

• Rubber gloves
• Painter’s spatula
• Hot water with detergent mixed in

To figure out if your wallpaper is strippable, all you need to do is to begin on the edge and check if it will peel. You can utilize your spatula to loosen stubbornly regions and soften the glue with the help of your detergent and sponge solution.

When the wallpaper is removed, you can now scrub the wall and make sure all glue is detached. To make this process easier, you can use a gallon of hot water with two cups of vinegar. You could also utilize solutions of several dish detergent, household cleaners, and fabric softeners. You can experiment to explore which works best for you.

FOR OLDER NON-STRIPPABLE WALLPAPER

Materials Needed:

• Broad knife
• Sprayer or paint roller
• Painters spatula
• Hot water
• Bottle of wallpaper remover
• Paper scorer or utility knife

Before you begin, ensure you have a close carpet or furniture covered with a tarp. This is a tip you don’t wish to forget when removing a wallpaper because this task is a messy endeavor. The majority of wallpapers consists of water repelling layer on top to protect it. With this, you’ll need to score that top layer in order to loosen the glue with a paper scorer or utility knife.

With the help of crisscross pattern, slowly score the region to be removed. Don’t cut too deeply as doing this can ruin your wall. Combine the wallpaper removed based on the instruction of the manufacturer. Utilizing a paint roller or sprayer moisten and scored regions and let 15 to 25 minutes for the liquid wallpaper remover to immerse in.

Next, use your painter’s spatula or broad knife to scrape off the strips of wallpaper from your wall. It is ideal, to begin with, the bottom and work your way ascending. Keep working until you see the paper removed from every area. Also you can use a spatula if you only want to remove the wallpaper border.

Once the wallpaper is removed, don’t forget to rinse the area with a hot water and heavy detergent. Most likely, you will find some minor repairs required for the drywall. You might require caulking around your windows, ceiling and trim areas. When the sheetrock is totally dry, then you can sand your walls to get rid of any rough areas. Ensure to dust off the walls once you’re done.

Further, if you don’t prefer to use the methods mentioned above, try using a steamer. Most paint shops and rental stores will charge one to you. If using a steamer, ensure to work on the smaller sections first. When the wallpaper started to loosen, you need to utilize your painter’s spatula or broad knife and get rid of it by working way up. Again, if the paper is removed, you will need to clean your walls as explained above.

Once the walls are totally dried, they are now ready for painting. Make certain that you utilize a primer formulated for that particular application. Since wallpaper is mounted on smooth walls, this would be a great time to consider texture if you like on painting the walls.

Images courtesy by Wikimedia.