How to Strip Wallpaper From Unprimed Walls

Stripping wallpaper is never fun, but it is even more frustrating when you try to pull it off unprimed walls. You can hire a professional to do the job, or you can invest a few hours and do it yourself. There's a way to get that stubborn wallpaper off using materials you probably already have around the house.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Wallpaper scorer
• Fabric softener
• Hot water
• Spray bottle
• Wide metal putty knife
• Primer

1. Determine if you really want to strip the wallpaper. Removing wallpaper from unprimed walls is messy and time consuming. You also face the possibility of damaging the drywall beneath the paper. Try pulling up a small section behind a door. If you can't even get it started, you probably should paint or paper over the existing wallpaper.
2. Score the walls with the scorer in a circular motion. This will allow the stripping solution to get underneath the wallpaper and start to loosen the glue. Don't press down so hard that you actually put holes in the drywall.
3. Mix equal parts of hot water and fabric softener in a spray bottle. This is your stripping solution.
4. Spray the solution of hot water and fabric softener on the walls. If the solution is so thick that it clogs the spray bottle, you can apply it with a sponge or car-washing mitt.
5. Wait two or three minutes. Try pulling off the wallpaper. You'll probably be able to pull off the top layer of paper without any problem. If the paper backing remains on the wall, spray it again and use the putty knife to scrape it off. Don't use a plastic putty knife; you won't be able to get underneath the paper.
6. Prime the walls after you get all the wallpaper off, so you'll never have this problem again.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy a wallpaper scorer at the hardware store.
• Don't hesitate to flood the walls with the solution of hot water and fabric softener. You may need to do this several times.
• If you decide it's just too much trouble to strip the paper, you will need to apply an oil primer over the wallpaper before painting.

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