Ready to finally tackle that nasty old wallpaper? The first thing you should note is that you may need to have patience if you're dealing with wallpaper that has been in place for years or even decades. Along with a little effort, we have some tips that make removing wallpaper a snap.
Protect Electrical Outlets & Floors
You should cover your floors before starting your wallpaper removal process since you will spray water on the walls. Lay down plastic tarp and secure it with a painters tape. Your wall is likely to have at least one electrical outlet; so leave the outlet cover and secure the entire area with the painter's tape. You should return to the outlet after the majority of the wallpaper is removed and remove the final pieces under the outlet cover.
Pry Up Wallpaper
From vinyl to bamboo, there are several different kinds of wallpaper. There's going to be an outer layer and an adhesive inner layer for most. With a big, rigid putty knife or scraper, begin your wallpaper removal journey. Just find an edge on your wallpaper and use the scraper to pry it off. Peel off the wallpaper if you can, or begin scraping it off the wall. You're one of the lucky ones if your wallpaper comes off in sheets.
Use a Scoring Tool
In order to reactivate the adhesive and allow the paper to fall off of the wall, you will need to apply a hot water solution to the paper to loosen the adhesive backing for most wallpaper removal projects. Some kinds of wallpaper are more soluble than others; vinyl paper can also repel water, like those used in bathrooms and kitchens. No matter what kind you have, buying an affordable wallpaper scoring tool is a good idea. The outer layer of wallpaper will be slightly penetrated by this tool, allowing the hot water solution to reach the adhesive and begin to loosen its grip on the wall. Run the scoring tool over the entire surface of the wall using light pressure. Don't use too much pressure because once you're done removing the paper, the scoring instrument will puncture through the paper and through the plaster, adding additional work of puttying the wall.
Mix Hot Water with Solution
Make a solution at home with 1/4 fabric softener to 3/4 hot water and put it in a pressure sprayer. You're ready to wet the walls but only after you have your floors and electrical outlets covered and secured. To protect your eyes as well, put on safety goggles before you start. Have a huge garbage can nearby so that you can directly place large pieces of wallpaper into it. This will save cleanup time later on. There will be many small pieces falling onto the floor. The tarp will catch these and make it much easier for the final cleanup.
Apply Solution & Peel Off the Wallpaper
To apply the hot water solution to a large section of the wall, use your pressure sprayer. To enable the solution to work its magic, wait for three minutes. Just use your rigid scraper to pry a damp wallpaper corner and back off the wall. Pull the sheets off the wallpaper and drop large pieces into the trash can. While it is wet, work the whole surface. You will discover that some wallpaper or backing has dried and is harder to remove. Ignore the dry wallpaper and concentrate on the already wet parts being removed. Repeat this step until the rest of the wet paper is removed. Spray, wait, and scrape the remaining wallpaper away.
Remove Leftover Adhesive
You can find some adhesive left on the walls after you've removed all of the wallpaper. With the hot water solution and scraper, remove it by going over the walls one more time. Spray on the area and work the scraper along the surface of the wall, removing the last bits of glue. Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe down the wall.
Are you stuck with some stubborn old wallpaper? Contact a Professional Wallpaper Removal Company in Connecticut.
