How to Remove Old Wallpaper

Whether you bought a house with old, ugly wallpaper or you have fallen out of love with a previous pick of yours, removing it can be tricky. If you are tired of looking at peeling or dated patterned wallpaper all over the walls, then here are five tips for removing old wallpaper from your walls.

1) Scrape the paper

The most effective way to remove old wallpaper is to scrape off the top layer of paper. A wallpaper scraper will do this job perfectly. If you do not have a wallpaper scraper, you can purchase one at any home improvement store. However, if you are only trying to remove small portions of wallpaper, you can use a regular kitchen knife.

2) Steam the wall

Use a wallpaper steamer to remove old wallpaper from the walls. You may have seen this product advertised in home improvement stores or on TV. It looks something like a cross between a small iron and a spray bottle. Fill the wallpaper steamer with water, plug it in, and let it heat the water while you scrape your wallpaper.

3) Cover the floor

Wallpaper tends to leave behind thin, stubborn paper fibers on your floor. These thin white fibers are difficult to see against the white tiles of your kitchen or bathroom floor. However, if you plan on refinishing or replacing your existing flooring, these thin pieces of paper will be as visible as a giant piece of white paper on your floor.

Cover the floor with a large piece of cardboard before you begin removing wallpaper and steam cleaning. This will prevent any small pieces of paper from ruining the surface you are preparing to work on. Just make sure to throw out your cardboard afterward, as it will be covered in paste.

4) Use a chemical solvent

If you plan on removing wallpaper from your walls more than once, then you should consider using a chemical solvent. This type of cleaning agent will dissolve any leftover adhesive and grime left behind after scraping and steaming the wall. These solvents also work well when used with steam cleaners to remove seams of stubborn wallpaper from the wall.

5) Steam again

If you have tried all three tricks above and are still having trouble removing wallpaper from your surfaces, you can try steaming the wall one more time. Sometimes stubborn wallpaper will return after steam cleaning it once or twice, so you should consider using a chemical solvent to remove the paste and grime that was left behind by your first round of steaming.

And if all else fails, you can always call in the professionals at My Painter. We can skillfully prepare walls to be painted, even if that means removing wallpaper.

By My Painter 10-20-2021