DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper: Six Easy Steps

To remove wallpaper can be a somewhat difficult task despite how easy it should be depending on the type of wallpaper and adhesive used. However, if you are poised to do the work yourself, you will find these six steps very useful, and they will give you the desired result at the end of it all.

Necessary Tools Needed for Wallpaper Removal

For you to be able to remove wallpapers perfectly from your wall, you will need some supplies to get that done. The items on this list are many, but they are all very important in getting a perfect or near-perfect work done.

• Sponge or Damp cloths
• Drop cloth
• Protective eyewear
• Gloves
• Hot Water
• Rounded putty knife, metal or plastic
• Sanding sponge
• Wallpaper Scoring Tool
• Pump sprayer or spray bottle
• Regal® Select Interior Paint
• Paint roller and cover
• Zinsser® Bulls Eye® Oil-Base Prime
• Large paintbrush, like a 2-½ inch Angle-Sash Brush
• Painter’s tape
• Fine-grit sandpaper (220-grit)

Table of Content

1. Prep Your Space
2. Score the Wallpaper
3. Choose Your Adhesive Remover
4. Peel the Wallpaper and Remove Adhesive
5. Tackle Tricky Adhesive Spots
6. Prime the Wall if You Plan to Paint It

Step 1: Prep Your Space

Prepping the space in your room and its surrounding where you are about to remove the wallpaper is the first and necessary step to take. Place a drop cloth on the floor to cover the area where you are going to work. Now, remove all hangings on the wall and any furniture that is close by. If there are any visible electrical outlets, such as sockets, please tape them.

Note that, there are two underlying layers of every wallpaper. First is the wallpaper itself and then the adhesive used to affixing the wallpaper to the wall. Do well to properly remove both components from the wall. Mind you, not all wallpapers are made of paper.

Those made with bamboo, vinyl or grass cloth and the adhesive applied to hold the wallpaper can sometimes prove very difficult to remove at the first chance. Not to worry, the next step is there to help you through.

Step 2: Score the Wallpaper

At this point, you have faced a difficult challenge trying to remove the wallpaper just by peeling it off from the wall. It is important to know that the type of wallpaper and its accompanied adhesive can have adverse effect on your removal process.

You have achieved a non-uniform removal as of now and thinking of what next to do. The scoring tool may be lying somewhere close to you, grab it and in a circular motion make shallow cuts to make wall for the use of an adhesive remover to be used to soften the area for easy removal.

Step 3: Choose Your Adhesive Remover

There are several adhesive removers on the market and each one of them is effect in its right. Whichever you decided to buy; if it is a Gel Wallpaper Stripper or DIF Liquid, can do the work perfectly.

You can equally make an adhesive remover with a few household essentials. Traditionally, fill a bucket with at least three litres of warm and into that add 1/3 vinegar or three to four litres of warm water and 1/4 fabric softener solution for the same purpose.

Whichever adhesive remover you decide to go with; either the homemade or concentrated solution chemically produced, the result would still be the same at the end of the process.

Step 4: Peel the Wallpaper and Remove Adhesive

• The application of the adhesive remover solution by this time has caused the softening of the wallpaper and its underlying adhesive. Peel the wallpaper and remove the adhesive from the edge with a putty knife. The wallpaper could easily peel off in large sheets or come off in tiny pieces. For the latter, gently pull down or slowly scrap if off the wall.
• With the use of a pump sprayer, apply the solution mixed with warm water again to the wall. Note that the more hot the water, the best outcome to be envisaged. Products on the market and the hot water can have effects on your hand so make sure you are always in your gloves for this procedure.
• After you have applied the solution thoroughly on all sides of the wall, give yourself at least 15 minutes before you begin to gently scrap off the remaining wallpaper and adhesive with the putty knife.
• Patience plays a vital role here as it may be difficult based on the type of wallpaper and adhesive used. Repeat the process and vvertime, you will be able to remove all leftover wallpapaer and adhesive.

Step 5: Tackle Tricky Adhesive Spots

Never be too quick to adjudge success when dealing with removing tough or stubborn wallpaper and adhesives. After peeling off the wallpaper and adhesive, do well to go through the process of applying the solution a few more time paying particular attention to the few pieces of glue you may have missed altogether.

Step 6: Prime the Wall if You Plan to Paint It

If you decide to paint your wall after removing the wallpaper and adhesive, it is advised that you prime the wall with an oil-based primer like the Zinsser® Bulls Eye® Oil-Base Primer. A research on primers can help you choose which is best for your room or which brand on the market you would like to use.

Source: www.Muzhchin.net