What is the best way to remove wallpaper?
by
Bonnie S
+9
I have one wall in a bathroom to take off wallpaper before painting it a solid light blue-gray. I tried everything in a bedroom to remove paper-backed wallpaper a few years ago and gave up. Hired it done and he did a really messy, rough job of it. What really works for a paper backed paper? Not so young anymore..ha and want this to be fairly painless. Wish it were vinyl!
7 answers
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You will probably get dozens of suggestions but I can tell you from much experience, THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO REMOVE WALLPAPER! I have to admit that having vinyl coated wallpaper while raising 2 teens was fabulous! BUT...in the long run it was a distastrous mistake. I peeled wallpaper off my kitchen and dining room walls inch by inch. Here's my suggestion. The first thing you do is get yourself the largest bottle of wine you can find. Sit and have a glass and think about this. Get a good night's sleep and just get up and go at it. Get some help for the high places and give thanks that you have only one wall of it. When the job is complete, drink the rest of the wine! You can skim the rough spots with that light weight "mud" you can get at the big box stores...it sands so quickly. (Be sure and cover vents before sanding.
Jeanette S
on Jul 06, 2014
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From my experience, there is no one "best" way to remove wallpaper. It's often a matter of trial and error since what works on one wallpapered area doesn't necessarily work for all wallpapered areas. You just have to experiment because there are so many varying factors like the age of the wallpaper, the thickness of the paper, what type of wall it has been adhered to (wallboard or plaster), etc. Sometimes I have good luck just using some fabric softener mixed with very hot water and sometimes I don't. Sometimes wallpaper removers like DIF have worked and sometimes they haven't. There have been times when I have had to resort to using a wallpaper steamer. On two occasions I couldn't get the wallpaper off with any method so I had to admit defeat and paint over it. When you are ready to get started, grab the paper where it is starting to peel and pull. Usually there is a top (decorative) layer and a paper backing. If it is already loose, the top layer should come off fairly easily (hopefully), leaving you with just the paper backing. You can use a putty knife to gently pry up the corners of any sections that are more firmly attached. To remove the paper backing, I would start by mixing some laundry fabric softener with HOT water in a spray bottle. Saturate the paper and let it sit for a few minutes to soften the paper and adhesive and then try scraping with a putty knife, being careful not to gouge your walls. Heat and moisture is what helps dissolve the adhesive so in most cases, the wetter you keep the paper, the easier it will be to remove it. If the fabric softener and hot water doesn't work, then you may want to try a chemical wallpaper remover like DIF. Or, if you can borrow a wallpaper steamer from a friend or relative, the steamer can make the process go a whole lot easier too, but a basic model isn't really very expensive. I think I bought my wallpaper steamer about 4 years ago for around $50 at Lowes. As you remove the paper, it is helpful to also have a big sponge or rag and a bucket of clean water so you can wipe your walls down as you remove the paper. After all the effort in removing the wallpaper, you don't want the glue residue drying on your walls. Good luck! Removing wallpaper is not the most fun DIY project but it sure is rewarding when that last little bit of wallpaper comes off!
Shari
on Jul 06, 2014
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We did this in my moms house by spraying wall with warm water. It would loosen up the top layer, peeled that off then sprayed/misted wall and peeled, scraped off with a plastic putty knife so as to avoid gouging the drywall. We tried the scoring wheel and special products and found that WARM water worked best.... I hope it goes well for you
Kathy Conley
on Jul 06, 2014
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Hot water sprayed along a seam or at the top of the paper --try this first. if that is not too successful or hard try using some fabric softener with hot water in a spray bottle which works great too. vinegar helps get rid of glue and paste on walls. have a 4" steel putty knife at an angle to gently slide under the wet and peeling paper. about a cup full of softener in a spray bottle then fill with hot water. hope this helps
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Jul 06, 2014
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Buy a wallpaper steamer - one of my fav time saving tools. Score with a wallpaper knife if multi-layers. Spray an area with hot water until semi soaked. Then use the wallpaper steamer and a flat blade. Have an old house - some rooms had layers of paint and wallpaper. Didn't have success with fabric softener and other products.
Marion Nesbitt
on Jul 06, 2014
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I feel your pain! We remodeled a 19 room, 1879 Victorian home (and I think some of the wallpaper was original). My trick for old and new wallpaper removal - for vinyl loosen the top layer with a blow dryer on low. Be patient and work in small manageable areas. Peel off the vinyl, spray the area with just plain, warm water. Let that sit and move to the next area and and repeat. As the first sprayed area gets saturated, scrape carefully with a putty knife or some sort of scraper. As I say, "Patience is a virtue"! Good luck!
Patricia Linn
on Jul 08, 2014
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I've removed TONS of wallpaper over the years and the best way is to score it with a wallpaper tiger then mix fabric softener with hot water, spray on , let soak for a few minutes , then scrape off with a plastic scraper. Works like a charm!
Sheryl DiMarco
on Jul 08, 2014
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