Tips For Removing Wallpaper

By: Tony Evans

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"What is the best way to remove wallpaper?" is one of the questions that I am asked the most as a professional contractor. This is a task that can be very difficult for many homeowners. I will tell you in this article what I think is the most efficient way to remove wallpaper.

To begin with, if the wall behind the wallpaper has been previously painted or primed it will make it much easier to remove but if it is unpainted drywall that is when the job becomes more difficult. The reason that I start by telling you this is because if you attempt to remove wallpaper from unpainted drywall it can easily damage the wall by tearing the top layer off of the drywall. If this occurs you will then have to repair the wall with joint compound which is a completely different project all together. Just remember, after you remove the first section of wallpaper from the wall and if the wall is unpainted you will need to take extra care so as not to cause any damage to the wall.

The items you will need to get started is wallpaper remover solution which is readily available at most paint or hardware stores, metal scraper, squirt bottle or garden sprayer and sandpaper.

1. The first step is to prepare by removing all furniture away from the wall and cover it with plastic drop cloths or tarps. Unless you are in an area with tile floors, make certain to cover all flooring with drop cloths.

2. To begin, start in a corner and pull a piece of wallpaper from the wall. Often you can remove the wallpaper easily and all you have left to remove is the glue residue. But most of the time you will be able to remove some areas and be left with some spots which you will have to apply wallpaper removal solution and invest some extra labor to remove. Remove as much as you can while dry, but remember to be careful and remove it slowly so as to not damage the drywall.

3. Fill your squirt bottle or garden sprayer with the wallpaper removal solution according to the manufactures direction. Begining at the top, spray the wall in four foot sections. Repeat this step about three times, until the wall is completely saturated. Do not over saturate as it can cause damage if it gets too wet.

4. Take your scraper and gently start scraping away wallpaper and glue residue from the wall. Be careful not to gouge the wet drywall with your scraper.

5. Repeat these steps until all of the glue and wallpaper are removed.

6. If you still have glue on the wall, use your sandpaper to remove it. You can start with a rougher grit sandpaper and as the glue is dissolved use a finer grit sandpaper. You will probably need several sheets of sandpaper because the glue will begin to stick to the sandpaper.

In extreme cases where the wallpaper does not seem to be coming off of the wall, you may have to add one more step to this process. Use a scoring tool to score the wallpaper in order for the wallpaper removal solution to penetrate. Let this be a last resort because many times you can damaged the drywall when you score the wallpaper.

Follow these steps and be patient, removing wallpaper is very tedious and there is no easy way to do it. Good luck!

Copyright (c) 2008 Smoky Mountain Painting