Whether you bought a new house that had some truly hideous wallpaper, or you just want to refresh a room, removing wallpaper can be a big job, especially if you are not using the right tools. While the age of the paper and how it was applied can have a big bearing on the removal process, there are a few general tips that you can utilize to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
First, you will need to see how the wallpaper was applied. If it is newer paper, you may be able to simply peel it off. However, if you’re dealing with older paper, chances are it either had adhesive backing, or it may have been pasted up. Get ready for a big job if this is the case. You’ll need to get some special tools to make it easier. We highly recommend the use of a steamer to release the adhesive, and save you a lot of time.
Once you know what you’re working with and you’ve got the right tools, pick a corner to start in and use the steamer over the paper. It is best to do this one section at a time, so that you won’t lose the benefit of the heat from the steamer. Go over that section once with the steamer and start to peel the paper off from one corner. It should easily peel back, unless the adhesive is very strong.
If it is, use the steamer again to see if that won’t loosen up the bond. If it doesn’t you’re most likely dealing with very old paper and you’ll need to have some patience and a lot of elbow grease to get the paper off the wall. You may need a flat scraper to help during this process, but look for a plastic one to minimize the damage to your wall.
Start by gently chipping away at the adhesive and pulling back the paper as you go. This can be pretty time consuming, but with a little effort, you should be able to get that panel down. Keep using the steamer if necessary and don’t get discouraged. Sometimes old wall paper can be a real problem, but once you do get it off the wall, the work will be easier. Keep going until all of the paper in the room has been removed.
Now, you should be looking at a blank wall, but there may be some extra adhesive that was left behind. Take some sandpaper and start to buff away this adhesive. If the problem is severe, you may need a power sander, but remember that you don’t want to destroy the wall. Go over the adhesive as gently as possible, until you get it sanded down.
At this point, you’ll need to decide whether or not you want to re-wallpaper the room or simply paint it. Today’s wallpaper is a lot easier to deal with and won’t require much work to remove it, so that is an option, especially if the adhesive from the old paper has made it difficult to paint the wall again.
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Originally posted 2008-12-23 05:11:57. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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