When one plans to give the wall a makeover with paint or new wallpaper, it is important to learn the right techniques for removing the old wallpaper. There are several effective ways to take down wallpaper without causing any damage to the wall. Besides, this process is easy enough to be completed at home without the need for professional assistance. By following a few steps and taking necessary precautions, one can achieve the best results.
Prep the room for wallpaper removal
A useful DIY wallpaper removal tip is to clear the area from where the wallpaper has to be removed. Start by removing all the items that are hanging on the wall. It can be helpful to remove fixtures, such as decorative lights, which may obstruct the wallpaper removal process. Next, clear out all the furniture from the room and place them at the center to create more moving and working space. This process will allow one to work more safely and efficiently. Once the area is cleared out, cover up the floor and any remaining furniture with large cloths or bedsheets to protect them from any damage during the wallpaper removal process.
Switch off the power
When considering how to safely remove old wallpaper, start by turning off the electricity in the room. Along with this, cover all the light switches and electrical outlets with painter’s tape. If the wallpaper has to be plastered to the outlet covers, this can be always done later, after the entire wall has been covered with the new wallpaper. One can also choose a contrasting and fun print for the outlets to make them stand out.
For this step, it is essential to remove the wall plates. Then, cut a piece of wallpaper that is half an inch larger on each side. Glue the paper using ModPodge and trim around the edges. Cut out openings for the plugs using a razor knife. Finally, reattach the plates back to the wall.
Determine the type of wall and wallpaper
One of the safe methods for removing wallpaper from walls is to simply peel it off. But to ensure the best results, it is important to determine both the type of wall and wallpaper. To begin with, start checking whether the wall is drywall or plaster. When looking for ways to strip wallpaper without damaging the drywall, be careful not to oversoak the wallpaper. Along with this, identify the type of wallpaper that is currently on the wall. One can do this by simply using a putty knife to gently peel off a corner of the paper.
A strippable wallpaper will come off quite easily. On the other hand, peelable wallpaper will leave some paper back on the wall, making it difficult to remove the small patches. But if the paper does not come off at all, it is likely to be traditional wallpaper, which will require soaking with water and the use of a chemical stripper for removal.
Use a putty knife to remove strippable wallpaper
Strippable wallpapers are the easiest to remove. For the removal process, one ill need a putty knife, soap, water, and rags. Start by using the putty knife to lift up one of the corners of the paper. Then using hands, simply peel off the paper slowly from the wall. Make sure the wallpaper is peeled closely to the wall in order to prevent the paper from tearing off. If the paper starts to rip, just loosen another corner and start over the process. Do this for all the walls in the room. Once this is done start to remove wallpaper glue residue. This can be done by wiping the wall with a solution of warm water and soap. Make sure the walls are dry before painting over them and layer a new wallpaper.
Make use of a wallpaper stripper to remove traditional wallpaper
Most step-by-step guides to wallpaper removal require materials like water, wallpaper stripper, spray bottle, garden sprayer, paint roller, putty knife or scraper, wallpaper scoring tool, ladder, soap, water, rags, and rubber gloves. Before removing the wallpaper, mix a solution of hot water and a wallpaper stripper. Make sure to read all the instructions given in the packaging of the stripper. Then, slowly pour the solution into a garden sprayer or spray bottle. Spray the solution on a small area of the wallpaper and spread it using a paint roller. Allow the solution to sit for a few minutes. Using the putty knife, scrape off the wallpaper gently. In situations when the solution is not working, just roll a scoring tool over the wallpaper before spraying the solution all over the wall. Then clean off to prepare walls after removing wallpaper using warm water and soap. In case the scrapping leaves behind any tiny holes in the wall, fill them up with spackling paste.
Remove peelable wallpaper
Removing peelable wallpaper requires a combination of techniques used for both strippable and traditional wallpaper. Start by gently pulling the wallpaper away from the wall to remove the top layer. For the corners, one can use a putty knife to loosen the wallpaper, which will make it easier to remove it from the paper backing. Next, it’s time to remove the paper backing. To do this, follow the process for removing the traditional wallpaper. Prepare a solution of water and wallpaper stripper, and then scrape off the backing.
