Removing Metallic Wallpaper

When starting on a home improvement project, a painful circumstance to discover is layers upon layers of wallpaper. This can be even more painful if you discover layers of metallic wallpaper. Metallic wallpaper is any paper that has a sheen to it, designed to reflect the light from the room off the walls. Unfortunately, this sheen makes it nearly impossible to paint over, although it is not recommended to paint over any type of wallpaper since it leads to bubbles and unevenness of coverage. With some elbow grease, even stubborn metallic wallpaper can come down.

Fabric Softener

The cheapest and in many cases most successful method of removing metallic wallpaper is liquid fabric softener. Take a spray bottle and mix 2 parts fabric softener with 1 part water. Shake the bottle well until the mix is incorporated. Spray the mixture generously on the wallpaper. Take an old rag and rub the mixture into the wallpaper. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, and then start peeling. Some areas may be stubborn, in which you can use a drywall scraper. Do not oversaturate the paper too much, or you could ruin the drywall underneath.

Tiger Tool

A "paper tiger" is a great tool that can be found at most home improvement stores. The paper tiger works by scoring the wallpaper to allow whatever solution you wet the paper with to soak in better. This is helpful with metallic paper that may otherwise resist absorbing moisture. Just run the paper tiger down the wallpaper and apply your removal solution. Do not push too hard, or you may leave marks in your drywall.

Commercial Steamer

When all else fails, you can rent a commercial wallpaper steamer from your local home improvement store. To use the steamer, fill the machine with water. Let the machine sit for the needed time to get the water temperature high enough to create steam. Use the provided attachments to drag the steam down the wallpaper. There are both large and small attachments to fit different spaces of walls. Once again, do not leave your steamer in one place too long since you might oversaturate the wall and cause damage to the drywall beneath.