How to Remove Wallpaper

Step-by-Step Instructions for Removing Wallpaper

Mar 23, 2006 Kristin Abraham

Removing Wallpaper can be difficult but the end results are well worth the extra effort.

If you're looking to remove wallpaper be prepared, it can be a very tedious process and in some cases almost impossible. There are some people who now suggest you prime the wall with an oil based paint and then treat it as a brand new wall and paint it. There are some situations that may require keeping the wallpaper, but typically this is not the best solution.

Most wallpaper has a protective layer on top that repels water. To really loosen the glue you're going to have to score that top layer. I recommend a paper scorer, sometimes called a paper tiger. Utility knives will also work if you gently score the top layer of the paper in a crisscross pattern. The only reason I would not use a utility knife to score the wallpaper prior to removal is that it is a bit more tedious than the scorer.

Once the top layer is scored you can soften the paste. There are a few different ways to do this. One is the traditional steamer. You can rent one of these at a local paint or hardware store. If you decide to use a steamer you do not need to use a chemical wallpaper remover. Simply steam a small area and work the paper up. Use a wall scraper to help you pry the paper off the wall. With the steamer you need to work on small sections rather than the whole wall. If you opt to use a chemical wallpaper remover its best to wet a large area and let the liquid seep into the paper before you try to pull it off. I have used DIF in the past and highly recommend this product. It is not caustic enough to harm your hands so you don't need to wear rubber gloves and you're most useful tool, your fingernails, are ready to scrape and pick away. I have also used wallpaper removal sheets. These strips of cloth stick to walls sprayed with hot water or a hot water and DIF mixture. Let the strips sit for twenty minutes or so and then peel the wallpaper off.

Be careful when picking the paper so you don't damage the wall underneath. Once the surface is softened it is very easy to mar the walls.

After you have removed all of the paper you need to wash the walls. You can use a heavy detergent and water mix as long as you wear rubber gloves. Or you can make another batch of DIF and water to scrub off the remaining glue. Paint will ultimately not adhere to glue so you want to make sure the walls are totally clean.

Another thing to consider after you've taken all the wallpaper off your walls is the texture. Wallpaper is hung on smooth walls. This can be great for some painting techniques and not so great for others. Something to consider when planning your decorating project.

Remember before beginning this project, removing wallpaper can take a very long time and require a lot of elbow grease, but the end result will be nice smooth walls you can paint and decorate and never again have to worry about peeling and slipped seams.

The copyright of the article How to Remove Wallpaper in Interior Decorating is owned by Kristin Abraham. Permission to republish How to Remove Wallpaper in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Torn Wallpaper Finish

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19 Comments

Comments

Mar 23, 2006 8:52 PM

Crystal Chercoe :

Another great and super easy way to remove wallpaper is as follows:

1) score it as per the article. 2) dilute 1 cup of fleecy (liquid fabric softener) to 4-5 cups of water (this is a guess, use discretion, but you want enough fabric softener to loosen the glue on the paper) 3) Either put in spray bottle and spray on walls in sections or use a pail and sponge and apply to walls in sections. Either way, it needs to be soaked pretty well 4)Choose to peel off by hand in sections (if possible) or use a spackle scraper tool for easy removal!!

This worked wonders for me on my wallpapered plaster walls. I tried to use the steamer first and found it way too frustrating. Then a friend recommended this method and what a lifesaver!! It made what was an originally onerous task a pleasure!!

Aug 21, 2008 11:18 AM

Guest :

i removed the initial layer of paint and wallpaper and found there was three more layers of paint and wallpaper underneath. i spackeled and sanded and am in the process of priming w oil based killz, the painting w oil based paint, was that the best solution?

Aug 21, 2008 5:05 PM

Kristin Abraham :

Oh no. I've never heard of anyone having such a mess to work through - my heart goes out to you.

Yes, I think you're making a wise choice. If I had found that mess I'm sure I would have just decided to paint over it as well. I think oil based will serve you well, but I also think latex would have worked well too.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it turns out.

Kristin

Nov 12, 2008 7:02 AM

Guest :

I have just purchased my first home. It is a 1933 model so it has old style wood floors that are in bad shape as well as a living room that has been wallpapered at some time over the years and then that has been painted over. I have tried to dig down in an out of the way area to see what the layers are and how many but it is impossible to tell. The whole room looks hidious. It was last painted an off-white beige color that just looks like dingey, dirty white. The paint was put on very thick or in several coats and there are places up to a foot long and four or five inches wide that look like the wallpaper has bubbled underneath. However, these bubble places don't give much when I press on them...in fact, they are really pretty solid.

I really don't know where to start. With all the expense of the house purchase and moving, I don't have the money to hire it done. I will have to do it.

This really has been a learning experience. I can't believe all of the things that I did not see or notice when I looked at this house. I stand in the middle of the empty living room just looking around and shaking my head wondering what in the world I have gotten myself into. I am sure that many, many others have been through this too, but it is an almost overwhelming feeling.

Nov 12, 2008 9:27 AM

Kristin Abraham :

No matter what - Congrats on the new house!!! And just imagine how much pride you'll have in the finished product. But it does sound like you dove into a pretty big project.
So. . .how do you feel about learning to drywall? With a huge amount of effort you can probably scrape and dig and soak the wall until you get to the original surface (plaster and lathe I'm guessing). BUT you're probably going to hit lead paint along the way and maybe asbestos in vinyl wallpaper. If this is the route you take, please protect yourself and others in your home.
I suggest learning to drywall - it's really not THAT difficult but does take some practice. But in the long run it will be easier and less time consuming and leave you with a really great finished result.
Don't get discouraged - you CAN do it and in the end you'll be really happy that you did. Keep us posted on your project.
Kristin

Nov 12, 2008 5:07 PM

Joel Evans :

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I didn't know you could just put up new drywall over all that other stuff but that makes the most sense to me. That has got to be easier than scraping all that stuff off.

Thanks again for the advice. I am sure I will be back for more.

Joel

Dec 11, 2008 2:02 PM

Guest :

I bought a very old building and worked hard to remove the old paper on a section of wall. There was literally 6 layers of paper. Underneath the wall was cracked. I read up on wallpaper removal at http://www.wallpaperhowto.com/preps.shtml. I took the author's advice and ended up using the oil based paint over the the old wallpaper and then putting drywall mud over that. This worked pretty well. It was a lot less work and less disgusting than going through the ratty old paper on the wall. I ended up painting over all. After a nice trim job it looks pretty good. However, the whole episode left me a bit cold on wallpaper in general.

Jan 2, 2009 9:33 AM

Guest :

I have a question... and forgive me if it sounds like a stupid question, but scanning through comments, I haven't found a definitive answer. If I were to choose to paint over paper, and I use an oil primer, then do I also have to use an oil based paint after the walls are primed, or can I then switch to a latex based paint?
-Pete in NY

Jan 2, 2009 9:38 AM

Guest :

I have a question... and forgive me if it sounds like a stupid question, but scanning through comments, I haven't found a definitive answer. If I were to choose to paint over paper, and I use an oil primer, then do I also have to use an oil based paint after the walls are primed, or can I then switch to a latex based paint?
-Pete in NY

Jan 2, 2009 9:39 AM

Guest :

I have a question... and forgive me if it sounds like a stupid question, but scanning through comments, I haven't found a definitive answer. If I were to choose to paint over paper, and I use an oil primer, then do I also have to use an oil based paint after the walls are primed, or can I then switch to a latex based paint?
-Pete in NY

Jan 2, 2009 5:58 PM

Guest :

Pete.. Yes, you can go oil or latex over an oil based primer.

Jan 3, 2009 11:58 AM

Guest :

I removed wallpaper and washed down the walls with TSP and then rinsed. When we painted everything looked great until a couple of days later when we noticed the finish is not smooth and looks like the glue did not completely come off. We then rewashed the walls and repainted them. Again, they looked great until a few days later. What can we do to get rid of whatever is causing this problem?

Sharon

Jan 4, 2009 10:11 AM

Guest :

is there any way to texture a wallpapered wall like one would with a drywall?

Jan 4, 2009 10:13 AM

Guest :

is there any way to texture a wallpapered wall like one would with a drywall?

Jan 5, 2009 4:47 AM

Kristin Abraham :

Pete,
Looks like my response to you was deleted or just isnt up yet, but yes you can paint with latex over oil in almost all situations, except when there are several coats of oil based paint. Since this is not your situation - go ahead and use the latex.
Good Luck
Kristin Abraham

Jan 5, 2009 4:51 AM

Kristin Abraham :

Sharon,
Sounds like your diagnosis is right and the glue didnt come off the wall completely. Since you've already painted over it a couple times I'm not sure if there is a way to remove the excess glue and solve the bubbling problem. You could try removing the paint and sanding the walls, or sanding through the paint in the spot that look bad. I've had a situation where the ceiling started bubbling and peeling so badly that redrywalling was necessary.
Check with your local paint shop (an actual paint store, not a big box) and see if they have any recommendations - bring pictures.
Sorry, I couldnt be of more help here - let me know how it turns off and good luck.
Kristin Abraham

Jan 5, 2009 4:53 AM

Kristin Abraham :

Can you texture drywall? Never had this question before and it's a good one. I would say yes to sand texture, BUT I'd worry about anything heavier as it may pull on the original wallpaper and cause problems.

This is one of the problems with painting over wallpaper as wallpaper has its own texture and it will show through the paint.

Good luck!

Kristin Kizer Abraham

Jan 21, 2009 9:34 AM

Guest :

Hi! I have a 14 year old home with 14 year old kitchen wallpaper. i have hung and removed many rooms of wallpaper, but this one has challenged me. I have a 2x3 foot section of paper finally removed after about 5 hours of labor. And it all came off back to bare drywall. My best guess is that the walls were primed with regular paint, based on the texture of the paint I unearthed, and it wasn't allowed to cure as the paint comes away with the adhesive layer of the paper. I started using the dry peel method and vinegar and water to remove the adhsive, but was unsuccessful, so tried a steamer next. More came away with the steamer, but it is still going to the bare drywall, even to the original mudding of the seams, which is chalky, no primer absorption there. Because the paper is so stubborn, I am now considering painting over the paper, and believe it will work, but I don't mind putting in the time if there are any other suggestions for stripping the paper. Any thoughts?

Mar 18, 2009 7:10 PM

Guest :

I have found a cheap way to remove wallpaper was to spray it down with a mixture of water and vinegar. About 3cups of water to 1cup of vinegar. It works great for me.

19 Comments