Is it time to finally say good bye to the god awful wallpaper that's covering your walls? If you want to save some money you could remove the old wallpaper yourself instead of paying for it. You won't know how hard--or easy--removing that old wallpaper will be until you try. Here are a few guidelines to help you tackle the job.
Move furniture away from the walls and cover the floor with drop cloths.
Pick a corner or an edge of the wallpaper and try to peel it off using your hands, a putty knife or a wallpaper scraper. Some papers are designed to simply peel off.
If the paper doesn't peel off, or if the pattern comes away but the backing remains, score the paper lightly using a razor blade or a wallpaper-scoring tool. Be careful not to cut into the drywall or plaster underneath.
Apply plain water, water mixed with a mild household soap, or a commercial solution of a wallpaper remover to the wall using a paint roller, squirt gun or large sponge. Saturate the wall several times if necessary; the paper will absorb the water until the glue begins to loosen.
Alternatively, rent or buy a wallpaper steamer. Take care--steamers get very hot.
Try again to pull the paper off with your hands. You might still have to use a scraper or putty knife, however.
Wash away as much of the glue as possible, until you are down to the original painted or primed wall. You might have to use a heavy-duty scouring pad. Wait until the wall is dry and use sandpaper to sand off what remains of the paper, backing or glue.
