The quote “What comes up, must go down” best applies to a home improvement project: wallpaper removal. If you’ve gotten tired of your old wallpaper, there are two options to get rid of it: painting or removal.
But can you paint over the wallpaper?
Believe it or not, painting over wallpaper is not only possible. It is often preferable to removing.
Most DIY-ers would prefer painting over wallpaper for several reasons:
- It saves a lot of money, time, and supplies.
- It saves you from stress and hassle.
- It is a relatively quick project.
However, there are setbacks, too:
- The wallpaper and its seams and textures may show through the new paint.
- If you don’t prep the walls properly, the wallpaper underneath the fresh paint will peel and lift.
- The results can look shoddy, depending on the quality or condition of the wallpaper.
Removing wallpaper
Professional painting contractors, builders, and design experts usually agree when dealing with old wallpaper – removal is the best.
But is it hard to find help with wallpaper removal?
Fortunately, you don’t need to hire a pro – it’s a DIY project you can do in a day.
We know how you feel about DIY wallpaper removal – it can be daunting. You might damage your drywall, but that will happen if you’re not careful in removing it or you don’t have the right tools (or both).
But don’t worry. These steps in removing wallpaper are surprisingly easy. Especially if your wallpaper is peelable or strippable, the job will be much more painless.
Some reminders first before proceeding to remove your wallpaper:
Know your wall and wallpaper type. Knowing what type of wall and wallpaper you have will help you determine the best wallpaper removal methods. For example, if you have drywall, be careful not to get it too wet, or else it might get damaged from all the water in it.
It’s also important to know what type of wallpaper you intend to remove. Use a putty knife to pull a corner of your wallpaper and pull it off. If it comes off easily, you have a strippable wallpaper (consider yourself lucky because it’s the easiest wallpaper to remove). If you have a wallpaper that peels away but leaves a paper backing behind, it is peelable. If the wallpaper doesn’t come off, you have the traditional wallpaper – and that’s the most difficult to remove.
Cut the electricity!
Removing it can be messy and damp work, depending on the type of wallpaper. As water and steam should never be in contact with electricity, shut off the electricity to your room before you start removing wallpaper.
To further ensure safe wallpaper removal, remove or loosen the faceplates of your light switches or sockets so that you can strip the wallpaper behind them. Again, make sure to shut off your electricity before you start.
Of course, shutting off your electricity will leave your room a little dark, so It’s better to plan this project during the daytime or have a battery-powered light source ready.
Clean and prepare the room for wallpaper removal
Start by removing items from the walls and moving furniture outside or to the center of your room. Or if you can’t move the furniture, cover them with drop cloths or plastic sheeting. Then cover the floors with drop cloths to prevent them from getting wet.
Removal of strippable wallpaper
Tools required in removing strippable wallpaper:
- Putty knife
- Soap
- Water
- Clean rags
Directions:
- Loosen the corner of your wallpaper and pull using your putty knife.
- Once you’ve removed all the wallpaper, clean the walls with soap and warm water. Rinse the walls thoroughly and allow them to dry before painting or installing new wallpaper, whichever you choose.
Removal of traditional wallpaper
Tools required in removing traditional wallpaper:
- Putty knife
- Soap
- Water
- Clean rags
- Wallpaper stripper
- Spray bottle, garden sprayer, or paint roller
- Wallpaper scoring tool (if necessary)
- Ladder
- Rubber gloves
Directions:
- Mix hot water and wallpaper stripper following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the solution to a spray bottle or garden spray.
- Using the spray bottle, garden spray, or paint roller, apply the solution to the small section of the wall, around 3 feet by 3 feet. Allow the solution to sit on the surface and soak into the wall for a few minutes.
- Then, scrape the wallpaper off with a putty knife or a scraping tool. Work your way up the wall. Be careful in scraping the wallpaper to avoid gouging the drywall.
- If the solution is not absorbed correctly and the wallpaper is still tricky to scrape, you may have to score the wall first before applying the solution. Use the scoring tool over the wallpaper and make overlapping circles.
- Then, apply the solution and let it sit for a few minutes. After that, scrape the wallpaper off with a putty knife or scraping tool.
- Once all the wallpaper is removed, clean the walls with soap and water. Rinse the walls thoroughly and let them dry before painting or installing new wallpaper, whichever you choose.
Removal of peelable wallpaper
Tools required in removing peelable wallpaper:
- Putty knife
- Soap
- Water
- Clean rags
- Wallpaper stripper
- Spray bottle, garden sprayer, or paint roller
- Rubber gloves
- Wallpaper scoring tool (if necessary)
- Ladder
Directions:
- Start by peeling off the top layer of the wallpaper. Use a putty knife to loosen the wallpaper’s corner and pull the wallpaper off its paper backing.
- Next, remove the paper backing left behind. Follow the technique described above in removing traditional wallpaper.
Another option: using a wallpaper steamer
If your wallpaper still refuses to come off, an electric steamer may help remove the old wallpaper.
Tools required:
- Electric wallpaper removal steamer
- Putty knife or scraper
- Scoring tool (if necessary)
- Soap
- Water
- Clean rags
- Safety goggles
- Rubber gloves
Directions:
- Wear safety goggles and rubber gloves.
- Set up the steamer following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Hold the steamer close to the wallpaper. It should loosen the adhesive. Be careful, though. If you have drywall, you don’t want to over-steam it.
- Scrape the wallpaper with a putty knife.
- If the steam doesn’t penetrate the wallpaper, roll the scoring tool over the wallpaper, making overlapping circles.
- Continue steaming a section and scraping until all wallpaper is removed.
- Clean the walls with soap and water. Rinse the walls thoroughly and let them dry before painting or installing new wallpaper, whichever you choose.
Another help – calling a pro
You also might be better off enlisting help with wallpaper removal by calling a professional painting contractor such as Custom Painting, Inc., especially if you’re dealing with your stubborn old wallpaper. A pro will know how to deal with that.