Lots of folks use many methods from steaming to sponging with hot water with a dash of fabric softener. The trick is to let the technique do it thing and not try to rush the job...it take time the moisture to soften up the glue...work in small areas and take you time.
You can score and steam it off but it's going to take time no matter what you use. Also if the wall wasn't primed before the wallpaper was put up it's going to take more time because the wallpaper is attached directly to the drywall without anything inbetween so be careful not to rip the drywall paper as well. You can try the fabric softener or windex as well with hot water to see if that would help. Good luck!!
Kathy, wall paper depending on its age is either one piece of paper with design painted on it, or the more modern last 50 years two parts. A paper with a vinyl or secondary coating with the pattern on it. The two ply papers are more durable as they can be scrubbed hard and take punishment that the real old single ply could not.
So what determines if the top ply comes off with the bottom ply that has the glue on it is
...»
dependent upon the process in which one attempts to remove the paper.
Some folks peel the top ply off exposing the paper under it, then simply wetting this it becomes soft and easily removed. But this in not always the better way.
Other methods employ a paper tiger tool. This tool will put nicks into the top more durable and many times vinyl surface so it will allow moisture to get behind the vinyl and allow it to soften the glue.
Still others use a steamer. While these devices work well for some types of really stuck on paper, they are often times the slowest of methods for removal as you must scrap the paper as you steam it. As once the steamed are becomes cool again the paper sticks exactly where it was before you steamed it.
As KMS said, there are many methods, but taking your time is the best. If you carefully scrub the wall with paper tiger, then apply your choice of chemicals to help soften the glue, using a hand sprayer from a garden shop works well. And keep the walls wet. Do not expect this to just fall off right away. You need to keep wetting the surface until the paper becomes really wet underneath. You will know that when the paper simply peels off just as easy as it would go on when it was first installed. The trick here is not to rush and pull everything off at once. But do one sheet at a time and clean the newly exposed wall underneath so no glue remains. If you pull it all off at once then go back to remove glue, it will have dried and it becomes much harder to get off the wall. But if it does happen, using cheese cloth soaked in the paper removal water place it on the wall like wall paper, give it some time then remove it and remove the glue under it while its soft again.
You can also use wall paper removal sheets. Depending upon how much you need to take off these are supposed to work real well. Shop around as there are many manufactures of this product available. http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Strip-HydroShe...
So what determines if the top ply comes off with the bottom ply that has the glue on it is ...»
Some folks peel the top ply off exposing the paper under it, then simply wetting this it becomes soft and easily removed. But this in not always the better way.
Other methods employ a paper tiger tool. This tool will put nicks into the top more durable and many times vinyl surface so it will allow moisture to get behind the vinyl and allow it to soften the glue.
Still others use a steamer. While these devices work well for some types of really stuck on paper, they are often times the slowest of methods for removal as you must scrap the paper as you steam it. As once the steamed are becomes cool again the paper sticks exactly where it was before you steamed it.
As KMS said, there are many methods, but taking your time is the best. If you carefully scrub the wall with paper tiger, then apply your choice of chemicals to help soften the glue, using a hand sprayer from a garden shop works well. And keep the walls wet. Do not expect this to just fall off right away. You need to keep wetting the surface until the paper becomes really wet underneath. You will know that when the paper simply peels off just as easy as it would go on when it was first installed. The trick here is not to rush and pull everything off at once. But do one sheet at a time and clean the newly exposed wall underneath so no glue remains. If you pull it all off at once then go back to remove glue, it will have dried and it becomes much harder to get off the wall. But if it does happen, using cheese cloth soaked in the paper removal water place it on the wall like wall paper, give it some time then remove it and remove the glue under it while its soft again.
You can also use wall paper removal sheets. Depending upon how much you need to take off these are supposed to work real well. Shop around as there are many manufactures of this product available. http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Strip-HydroShe...
Here is a post from a short while ago that may be of some help.
http://www.hometalk.com/activity/133617
Best, Charles