How to Remove Wallpaper
Removing wallpaper can be extremely easy or very, very difficult. For those that get lucky, removing wallpaper from an average size wall can take a half hour or less. If you are stuck with a wall with wallpaper that is extremely stubborn, it can take hours to remove it properly. Here are some tips on removing wallpaper with as little fuss and mess as possible.
Tools Required
If you are planning on removing wallpaper from your room, make sure you buy some tools to help you with the job. Wallpaper can be notoriously difficult to remove and a few tools can help you immensely with the job. Some of the tools you will need are:
High grit sand paper(50, 60 or 80 grit)
One flat screwdriver
A wallpaper scoring tool
One putty knife
Wallpaper remover spray
Garbage bags
Floor and furniture coverings
First See How Easily Your Wallpaper Comes Off the Walls
Wallpaper is usually attached with very strong adhesives and over the years the paper almost becomes part of the wall. However, if your wallpaper was never glued to the wall satisfactorily, it might be coming away at the edges and even weakly glued to the wall in the middle. If you can, try to pull away the wallpaper at the seams. Usually, pulling the wallpaper away at a 45 degree angle works best. If you find that your wallpaper easily comes off with just some tough tugs, go throughout the wall and see how much of the wallpaper you can remove without any tools.
For Stubborn Wallpaper Removal
Leaving wallpaper on your walls is NOT an option. Whether you decide to paint your wall or apply new wallpaper over your walls, old wallpaper will be seen under the new paint or new wallpaper. This is the reason why all old wallpaper no matter how stubborn it is must be removed.
First use your wallpaper scoring tool to make cuts in the wallpaper. You can create scores throughout a section of the wall. A wallpaper scoring tool only cuts to a certain depth, so you won’t make cuts into the wall underneath. Sometimes scoring wallpaper at certain places will help you grab certain weaker sections which can come off easily. Once you have scored and removed all the less stubborn places on the wall, it is time to treat your wallpaper to wallpaper spray remover. Wallpaper remover spray acts as an adhesive remover. Make sure that all furniture is out of the way and covered under a tarp, the same with the floors. Before spraying wallpaper remover spray, open a few windows or make sure the area you are working in is properly ventilated.
Spray liberally the wallpaper removal spray from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall covering all areas of the wall. Follow the directions and let the spray soak into the wallpaper. Some wallpaper removers take a half hour or more to soak in and break down the adhesive for an easier removal.
After the adhesive has broken down start at the seams of the wallpaper and see if the paper is easier to remove. Sometimes you will need to apply wallpaper removal a few times before the adhesive breaks down enough for an easy removal.
Putty Knife and Sand Paper for Extra Stubborn Wallpapers
For extra stubborn wallpaper you will need to use brute force. Some tools that can help are the putty knife and sand paper. A putty knife can help get under the wallpaper, however be careful that you don’t ruin the wall. Many times people will jab too hard and actually stab the knife into the wall. Screwdrivers are also a good tool, if you need to get under a small edge.
For the most stubborn wallpapers one of the most reliable tools to use is sand paper. Whether you attach the sand paper to an applicator or a drill, high grit sandpaper (50, 60 or 80) will ultimately rub off the wallpaper and any adhesive left on the wall. If your wallpaper is extremely stubborn expect to spend lots of time on this project and to expend lots of energy trying to remove wallpaper with sand paper.
Industrial Strength Wallpaper Remover Products
Besides wallpaper remover spray which is usually considered to be a consumer product, there are industrial strength wallpaper removers. While these are obviously stronger than consumer products, they are also more dangerous to use. Make sure that they are used in a highly ventilated area. Open the windows and wear a mask, gloves and eye protection. Also follow the directions. It should be noted that even these industrial products can sometimes not be strong enough to remove the most stubborn of wallpapers. When all else fails, go back to using the sand paper.
Before Painting or Adding New Wallpaper to Your Wall
Once you have removed all the wallpaper, look over the wall closely. If you see any dried up adhesive, this also should be removed before applying paint or new wallpaper. You can use wallpaper removal spray or sand paper to remove this adhesive.