What's the best way to remove wallpaper?

My home is dated. (Think 70's). Wallpaper everywhere. I'm tempted to just paint over it but I'm afraid the paint will start to peel off with the wallpaper. I've removed most of it but there's still patches. Should I just mud over it or what?

  9 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Dec 21, 2017

    https://www.hometalk.com/diy/decorate/walls/best-way-to-remove-wallpaper-3370217

  • Ken Ken on Dec 21, 2017

    Wallpaper paste is water soluble even after it's set. You could try wetting it with a sponge and keeping it wet while until the water soaks in to the glue, or rent a wallpaper steamer. I've never used one but since they have only one use and all of the rental places have them they must do great.

  • Charly Charly on Dec 21, 2017

    You can buy a spray that will loosen the adhesive. You can also use a wheel/cutter device that is made for putting little holes in the paper and then you spray it with the adhesive softener, wait about 10 minutes and then scrape gently and the paper comes right off. I've also heard that you can use a mixture of water and liquid fabric softener to spray on after you have scored the paper with the cutter.

  • Ann Cherkas Halstead Ann Cherkas Halstead on Dec 21, 2017

    Peel what you can then mix Dawn soap with hot water and spray the paper. It will help you peel it off

  • Brenda Brenda on Dec 21, 2017

    Keep working at it. Steam, water, WD40? Whatever works to get it all off. I had the same in our last home. Every room. By the time I reached the last bedroom I’d had it and just painted over it. Big mistake. You could see every seam and it looked terrible. Landed up had to take it all off anyway and with the paint over it was twice as hard to remove.

    You mentioned mudding over the patches but you really have to know what you’re doing there to get it feathered enough to not be noticed after painting. Hope others can come up with some better ideas for you. Good luck.

  • Dianacirce70 Dianacirce70 on Dec 21, 2017

    Definitely do not paint over it, it can bubble and warp and will look terrible. Ann's idea is great, and there is a tool you can get at the home stores called a wallpaper shark. Its a palm sized tool that you roll over the wallpaper, it perforates it so the solution you spray on it gets under the paper. They are about $7. I use a solution of water and fabric softener, that works well, too.

  • Paula Paula on Dec 21, 2017

    remove to the best you can then put a textured wall paint or surface on the walls which will hide any backing left behind or dig marks from scraping.

  • Sal3170064 Sal3170064 on Dec 21, 2017

    Before you try the steam method which is the best method. Try the paper first as some just peel off the wall if you start at the bottom and pull gently upwards. Then steam the lining paper. Some papers have a coating that steam has difficulty getting through easily, it does come off but is slower to do so.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Nov 26, 2021

    Steam it of or use old fashioned water and a wallpaper scraper.