Once upon a time I started my very first blog. Although that one is retired, it was a wonderful learning experience and gave me the confidence to start the two sites that I manage today. Rather than filing all the old posts away, I’ve decided to bring a few back from the archives, including this DIY home project – How to Easily Remove Wallpaper. Enjoy!
PROJECTS & MAINTENANCE
How to Easily Remove Wallpaper
February 24, 2014
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Wallpaper can be a beautiful thing. It can add color or dimension to a wall that would otherwise seem plain or boring. While there are some exquisite wallpaper designs out there, in time, some will undoubtedly make a room feel dated. If this is the case for your space, you might be wondering how to easily remove wallpaper.
There are few home renovation projects that bring as much distaste as removing wallpaper. It can be difficult. It is messy. And if you have ever tackled this task or know someone who did, you may find that this may be one of the most hated jobs for the DIY home improver.
During our first home renovation, I had never had the need to remove wallpaper before, making the great unknown a little intimidating. Luckily, there was only one room in the new house with wallpaper so it couldn’t be too bad, right?
While this is certainly not true for everyone, for our home renovation, removing wallpaper turned out to be one of the easier projects. After all, it was only one room, compared to removing popcorn ceilings in an entire house or taking up hardwood floors (which is my most loathed project to date).
STUBBORN WALLPAPER REMOVAL
After several days of researching the proper way to remove wallpaper, it became apparent that there are many factors that can make the project easier or harder. The two main factors that can influence stubborn wallpaper removal include:
• The length of time that the wallpaper has been up
• The number of layers of wallpaper are on the wall
Typically, the longer the wallpaper has been up, the more stubborn it can be to remove. The same goes for the number of layers of wallpaper. If there are several layers that have been added on through the years, it will most likely be more difficult to remove than a single layer.
While I do not know how long the wallpaper was present in our current home, there was only one layer. I think that this factor alone made the removal process much easier. If the wallpaper that you are dealing with is the newer “peel-and-stick” option, you may be able to just pull it down without all the hassle detailed below. The key is to start removing the wallpaper in a small less noticeable section and work from there.
The process we used to remove the wallpaper was easy and the cleanup isn’t too bad, but it is a time-consuming process. It will likely require several hours to thoroughly remove all the wallpaper, depending on the size of the room. To remove one room’s worth of wallpaper, it took about a full day for me to complete it by myself.
If you are hesitant about taking on this project, don’t be. Learning how to easily remove wallpaper is a good project for a beginner and will ultimately save you money that can be spent elsewhere.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Plastic scraper
• Spray bottle
• Fabric softener
• Plastic drop cloth
• Gloves (if your skin is sensitive)
• Paper Towels
• Trash Bags
• Ladder
Although time consuming, removing wallpaper is very inexpensive if you do it yourself. You most likely have some of the materials already in your possession. It is also handy to have a trash can nearby to clean up as you go. Removing wallpaper in our single room required two full trash bags to discard the wallpaper remains.
HOW TO EASILY REMOVE WALLPAPER
1. Prepare the Floors with Plastic Drop Cloth
If the room where you are removing the wallpaper has hardwood flooring or carpet, you will want to put down a plastic drop cloth to catch any of the wet wallpaper pieces or water drips. You may not need drop cloth for tile floors, but it does make the cleanup faster and ensures your grout lines will stay clean.
I did not cover the entire floor with drop cloth, but rather moved the drop cloth with me, working in sections.
2. Pull the Wallpaper from the Wall and Discard
Depending on the type of wallpaper that you have will determine whether you can begin with Step 2 listed here or will have to skip this step and move on to Step 3. Begin at a corner and gently pull back the wallpaper. If you are successful, it will come off in large strips. Once you have removed it, place the discarded wallpaper strips in your trash can or bags.
The top portion of our wallpaper was made of a very thick paper. This made it quite easy to grab from a corner and pull it down in chunks. While the wallpaper itself was removed, it did leave behind a thin layer of paper and adhesive.
3. Fill the Spray Bottle with Fabric Softener Mix
For any remaining or stubborn wallpaper, you can try the fabric softener method. Fill a spray bottle with 1/3 – 1/2 container of fabric softener and the rest with hot water. Let the excess bubbles flow out so you end up with a full bottle. Wipe the bottle dry.
4. Saturate the Wallpaper or Wallpaper Backing with Fabric Softener Mix
Spray a section of the wallpaper with the fabric softener mix. It is ideal to fully saturate the wallpaper. Once you have sprayed the wallpaper or wallpaper backing, take a towel or rag to clean up any excess drips.
Once you see wallpaper backing start to bubble, the wallpaper is ready to be removed.
*Wallpaper Removal Tip – It is best to work in sections since the wallpaper needs to be wet for removal. If the water mixture dries, you will have to re-wet the area and start again. Working in small sections also makes the cleanup process easier.
5. Scrape the Wet Layer of Wallpaper
Using the plastic scraper, begin in one corner and scrape the wallpaper. Hopefully, if your situation is similar to ours, you should be able to scrape off sections of the remaining wallpaper. If you are really lucky, you will have large sections come off at once. Either way, this is the step that will determine if additional prep work is needed to remove the wallpaper in your home.
If the wallpaper is not coming off, re-wet the area again. Wait a few minutes and try to scrape again.
If this method does not work, you will want to consider purchasing a scoring tool that is designed for wallpaper removal.
6. Remove the Remaining Wallpaper
Continue to spray and scrape the remaining wallpaper until all the wallpaper is removed. Make sure to throw away all scrapings after you finish each section. This will make the final cleanup a breeze.
