How to Patch After Removing Wallpaper

When removing wallpaper from a wall, you may cause minor damage to the plaster or discover existing damage that has been hidden from view. If you discover damage to the walls after wallpaper removal, it is important to repair any holes or cracks before attempting to hang new wallpaper or paint the wall. Minor blemishes and damage can be easily corrected and will make a big difference in appearance when redecorating the wall.

Things You'll Need

• Canned air
• Putty knife
• Abrasive cleaner
• Spackle
• Cloth
• Fine-grained sandpaper
• Metal mesh tape

Instructions

1. Eliminate any loose pieces of plaster or debris inside the hole. Spraying the hole with canned air is an effective way to get all of the small pieces. Be sure to stand back or wear eye protection to keep pieces of plaster from getting into your eyes.

2. Remove all wallpaper paste residue from around the area that needs to be patched. Wallpaper residue can be removed by scraping the dried paste with a putty knife and then washing the area with an abrasive cleaning product.

3. Fill very small holes, such as nail holes or minor cracks, with spackle. Use a putty knife to spread the spackle over the area, wipe away extra spackle with a cloth and allow the area to dry completely.

4. Cover the area with another coat of spackle if it sinks in. Spackle can shrink slightly as it dries, which will leave gaps around the edges. A second layer will fill in the gaps.

5. Sand over the spackled area with fine-grained sandpaper. Continue to sand in gentle circles until the plaster is level with the surface of the wall.

6. Use metal mesh tape over large gaps. Cover the hole or crack with two pieces of tape placed in an "X" directly over the hole. Cover the taped surface with spackle and sand the surface down to level.

References

• Welcome Homeowner
• Home Tips