How to Remove Wallpaper

Removing wallpaper can be an excruciating experience. It can make you say, "I WILL NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put up wallpaper EVER again! Here are the tips, tricks, and steps to make the task easier and more successful for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spray bottle
• Wallpaper scorer
• Drywall scraper
• Rags
• Bucket
• Piranha or Diff Wallpaper Remover Gel

1. 
    

   First try pulling the wallpaper off dry to see how well the outer covering can be removed. If the wallpaper is a heavy type wallpaper, it will pull off easy. If it pulls off easy and just leaves the backing, that's okay. You will remove it later. Pull all the outer layer of the wallpaper off and then continue with Step 4.

2. If the wallpaper comes off in very little pieces or not at all, or if you know that the paper is somewhat thin, you will need to use the Wallpaper Scoring tool.

3. 
    

   Roll the Wallpaper Scoring tool over a few sections of the wallpaper. The more scoring you have in the wallpaper, the better the wallpaper will allow the water and wallpaper remover gel to penetrate the wallpaper.

4. Spray a few sections of the wallpaper or wallpaper backing with a spray bottle filled with water or with the Piranha or Diff Wallpaper Remover gel. You can also use a very wet rag on the wallpaper or wallpaper backing to fully saturate the area.

5. 
    

   If you use the Piranha or Diff Wallpaper Remover gel, you should wait about 15 minutes to let the solution penetrate the area.

6. Use the drywall scraper to remove the wallpaper and wallpaper backing. If necessary, spray the area with more water to make sure it stays very wet.

7. 
    

   Once the wallpaper and wallpaper backing is removed, use a clean bucket of water and wipe down the walls to remove any excess glue or paper fragments left on the walls.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy a wallpaper steamer for around $50 to $100. Depending on how many rooms you have to do or how much is in your budget, a wallpaper steamer may be a big help.
• Be careful not to gouge the wall with the drywall scraper. Applying too much pressure to scraping the wall at the wrong angle could cause some gouges that you'll later need to fill with spackle compound.

[ladylynn359]

on 8/18/2009 you listed some good ways to deal with the problem

[eemie]

on 5/11/2009 Sounds like a lot of work, thanks for the tips! 5*s!

[gahazeleyes]

on 4/29/2009 Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[nancysoffice]

on 4/27/2009 Great info, removing wallpaper is horrifying I know. You can also try mixing water with white vinegar, too.

[RENorton]

on 4/27/2009 Outstanding article. Very well-written with some great tips for wallpaper removal. Thanks for sharing this!