Removing wallpaper is difficult, especially if renovating an older home with long-standing décor, multiple layers of thick, embossed wallpaper and weak plaster cause complications. Most people use wallcovering remover – Roman Products and steamer to do the task faster, but over-steaming and oversaturating sensitive walls can be disastrous. Thus, you may need to slow down and adjust your work.
Before removing wallpaper, protect your flooring, move all furniture, and switch off the electricity if you need to remove plug sockets to release paper behind them. Wear gloves when dealing with tools, a dust mask, and eye protection to avoid wallpaper particles. Analyze your upcoming task. Starting in a corner makes wallpaper removal easy. This will help you estimate how many wallpaper layers to remove and how hard it will be.
Removing Stubborn Wallpaper
Due to adhesive or decades on the wall, wallpaper may be stubborn. You may potentially find more wallpaper layers or risk damaging the plaster. Making use of these tips will remove even the toughest wallpaper.
- Steam wallpaper.
Steam wallpaper removal works faster. Steam penetrates the wallpaper to the glue below, removing it from the wall. Woodchip wallpaper works great with a steamer. If you’re renovating an older home and don’t know what’s under the paper, using a steamer can be dangerous. Excessive steaming of walls can harm delicate plaster, which is costly and challenging to fix. If steaming seems hazardous, read on for further tips.
- Score Wallpaper First.
Scraping damp wallpaper is easier than dry wallpaper. Some wallpaper is waterproof or lacquered, especially for baths. Score it first to break the watertight seal. Dedicated wallpaper scoring tools exist. These circular instruments with spikes make tiny holes in paper by rolling them over it. Water sprayed on wallpaper soaks in rather than sits on top.
- Hot Water and Fabric Softener Spray
Some pastes resist soaking the paper with water. Wallpaper can be made to reduce dampness or humidity damage. It works best with 80% hot water and 20% fabric softener. Heating and fabric softener tear down the adhesive binding the paper to the wall and other layers. You can also use vinegar to save your pricey, fragrant softener.
- Peel Layers
In older homes, there may be wallpaper to remove. Due to cost and uneven walls, wallpapering over wallpaper was historically widespread. Wallpaper is frequently easier to take off the top. Start peeling at the wallpaper joint or around an electrical socket. Remove as much of the top layer as possible, then soak the next. Backing paper is usually the second layer. You can dampen this easily and let it soak into the next layers.
Conclusion
Removing your wallpaper can be difficult depending on how it was affixed, but it is possible if you have the correct tools and methods. Divide your wallpaper removal project into manageable chunks to ensure a seamless outcome. Make sure the stripping solution won’t damage the wall by testing it first on a small, isolated area. Before using the solution, you might need to remove the top layer from vinyl or textured wallpaper. When applying stripping solutions, keep windows open to allow for airflow.