Looking around your house you realize that you need a change. You might not be able to put your finger on exactly what needs to change you just realize that something does. Then it hits you like a ton of bricks one day, it’s the walls. During sometime in your decorating life you decided that wallpaper would be a fantastic idea for your home. For some, this decision is something that we love and sticks with us for the lifetime of our home. For some, however, we realize that it is the worst idea imaginable and then comes the dreaded task of removing it. Fear not, our team at Carolina Services has dealt with walls and walls of wallpaper and have perfected the way to remove it. Follow along for our tips on how to remove wallpaper.
How to Remove Wallpaper
1. Prep: Planning is key to making this work. Make sure you have enough drop cloths, tools, and tape ready to tackle any obstacle. First you lay down your drop cloth and it is a good idea to use towels as well to handle any spills or random messes. For safety reasons, it is best to cut the power from the circuit breaker to the room you are working on. Next, remove any wall plates as well as tape over any plugs, it would be very unsafe to get any solution into an outlet.
2. Plan of Action: Next on how to remove wallpaper is determining which kind of wallpaper you have. There are a few kinds of wallpaper out there, the first being strippable. The way of knowing if it is this kind is if you can pull from a corner up and the whole things comes apart in one piece, it’s strippable and the easiest to remove. The next kind is peelable-top-layer, which is easy to determine in that if you peel it, only the top layer comes off and the sticky residue remains. Lastly, and the hardest to remove, is traditional. The way you can determine this one is when you try to peel it and only tiny pieces come off. For a more in-depth tutorial on how to remove each type of wallpaper, please visit here.
3. Getting the Job Done: Once you have determined which type of wallpaper you have, there are some common jobs that need to be done by all of them. For tough jobs, one thing that can make it easier is if you score the wall first. Putting tiny holes in the paper can help with solution getting through which will make your job much easier. After that, pull off as much paper as you can. Once you are done, you can use a number of solutions to help remove any backing or adhesive that remains. These solutions can come from a store or you can make your own using vinegar and the hottest water you can stand. Make sure you don’t keep your walls wet for too long because it will damage them. Work in small areas.
4. Clean up and Repair: After you are done, clean up all of the paper and residue that has fallen away from the floor. One thing that most DIYers don’t think about in the prep stage is knowing that you might damage your walls in the process. Have some spackle on hand ready to repair your walls. Sand them smooth to be ready for the next adventure in decorating your room.
We hope this helps clear up any confusion on how to remove wall paper. If you should ever need any help with this or any other project, big or small, please contact our amazing staff at Carolina Services today.
Photo by: Maarten Takens
