How to Remove Wallpaper and Wallpaper Glue

The right tools make wallpaper removal easier.

Removing old wallpaper and painting or re-papering a room can be expensive. Save money by removing the wallpaper and glue yourself. Modern wallpapers are vinyl or vinyl coated, so the days of saturating paper with water and scraping it away are gone. Modern wallpapers come down with the help of enzyme compounds that dissolve glue and scoring tools that make it possible for the dissolver to penetrate to the paste holding the paper to the wall.

Things You'll Need

• Wallpaper scoring tool
• Liquid wallpaper stripper
• Paint roller or spray bottle
• Bucket
• Water
• Vinegar
• Sponge
• Scraping tool, optional

Instructions

1. Gather your supplies before beginning work. Decide if a paint roller or spray bottle will work better for applying the wallpaper stripper. Paint rollers make quick work of large areas while a spray bottle works better in tight areas.

2. Spray or roll liquid wallpaper stripper on a small area of paper. Wait 15 minutes then try to lift a corner of paper and strip it off. If you can, continue applying stripper and pulling the paper free.

3. Roll the wallpaper scoring tool over the walls to make tiny holes in the paper. Apply only enough pressure to penetrate the wallpaper; too much pressure can leave score marks on the wall.

4. Work in a small section, spraying one or two strips of paper at a time. Wait 15 minutes to allow the wallpaper stripper to soak in. Score the next sections of wallpaper while you're waiting for the stripper to work.

5. Loosen a corner of the paper and gently pull the paper off the wall. If small bits of wallpaper backing are left, respray and scrap off the wall, or wipe away with a sponge.

6. Add 2 cups of vinegar to a bucket of water. Wash the walls with the vinegar solution to help dissolve any leftover glue and leave the walls fresh and clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover the floor with plastic and/or old towels.

• If there are small bits of wallpaper backing left on the wall, you may want to spray the wall again with liquid wallpaper remover. Wait 15 minutes and scrape the bits off the wall. Wash as described above.

• If you use a scraping tool, be careful not poke the corner of the tool into the wall. The wall will be more fragile while it is damp from being sprayed and soaked.

References

• "The Washington Post"; Removing Wallpaper; Jeanne Huber; Aug. 2011
• Ask the Builder; Wallpaper Removal; Tim Carter