Would you like to quickly and easily remove old wallpaper to re-cover your walls? Discover some of the most common options with simple means here!
When the time comes to remove unsightly wallpaper and replace it with better wall coverings, you can be smart about it. Many people are concerned about the damage this will cause and how much effort it will take, which is why they quickly give up. Professional removal would of course be a sensible option, but these days it can be expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of tried and tested methods and tricks you can use to make this tedious task easier. Below you can find out more about it so that your new or redesigned home goes smoothly.
What should you prepare before removing old wallpaper?
You may have had a bad experience yourself or at least heard that wallpaper is difficult to remove. Although this may seem complicated at first, anyone can do the job with a little patience and no prior knowledge. In the past, when people wanted to modernize the interior design, it was easynew wallpapersstuck over the old ones. As a result, some older homes contain several layers of old wallpaper.
In this regard, some health concerns are that old wall paint may contain lead. These cause health problems for some people, which is why it is important to wear a protective mask when removing older wallpaper. The most important thing is to get someone to help you and follow some simple but necessary steps during the process.
- The first important step is to create a clean work environment. To do this, you should remove as many furnishings as possible from the room or at least position the furniture in the middle of the room. This allows the areas around the walls to remain free.
- Of course, you should also remove decorative elements from the walls, including paintings, posters and photos.
- The next step is to cover the floor along the walls using protective film. This offers a high level of ease of use and is usually inexpensive.
- Last but not least, as written, you should get a helper, regardless of whether they are familiar with it or not. This will allow you to better synchronize the process, with one holding the tool while the other can remove the wallpaper.
What standard methods can you use to remove wallpaper?
Depending on the situation, you can first try removing as much of the old wallpaper by hand as possible. As a rule, the top layer can be removed relatively easily. Additionally, there are commercial products that can help with the process, but they often contain chemicals and are expensive. A better alternative would be to try home remedies when removing wallpaper. Such homemade mixtures can not only be cheaper, but also safer and more skin-friendly.
If you do decide to use a ready-made wallpaper remover, it is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions and use suitable tools for application. Normally you should leave such products to work for a few minutes in order to be able to peel off old wallpaper and remove it with a wide spatula. The walls should then be cleaned of wallpaper glue and other residues with water and a hard brush. In addition, there are several standard methods for removing old wallpaper, such as the following:
- Easy removal of wallpaper without liquid: You could always start with this option, even if it seems quite optimistic. Usually it is necessary to moisten the wallpaper with water or soapy water. Otherwise it will start to tear into pieces or just peel off a little in the top or bottom center.
- Use a spray bottle and strip wallpaper: If you have a spray bottle, this would be the best and easiest option. Start with a small area by wetting the wallpaper and waiting for it to absorb. Then try to peel off the layer, being careful not to soak the wallpaper in water, otherwise it will become too mushy.
- Another practical method is to scratch the old wallpaper crosswise with a utility knife or something similar. This also produces good results, and if the wallpaper is not porous, the top layer will prevent water from penetrating and peeling off the wallpaper adhesive. However, do not press too hard so as not to damage the wall under the wallpaper.
What home remedies can you use to remove wallpaper?
There are a few tried and tested home remedies, and each of them involves soaking the wallpaper. This can dirty the floors and baseboards, so you should protect them with cardboard or old rags and towels. Otherwise, you can try the following options:
- Dishwashing liquid and hot waterMix: Dishwashing detergents usually contain degreasers that can be used to remove old wallpaper. Simply add 30 milliliters of dish soap to 500 milliliters of water and use a spray bottle or roller to apply the solution. Then let the solution sit for about 5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the wallpaper becomes soft. Then use a spatula or similar tool to remove the wallpaper from the wall.
- Fabric softener with warm watercombine: Use it to prepare a solution in a 1:2 ratio. Apply this to the wallpaper and wait about 10 minutes. Then remove the wallpaper again with a spatula or a suitable tool. You may have to repeat the process, but this method will also leave your room smelling clean and fresh.
- white wine vinegar and warm waterUse: Acetic acid also helps to soften wallpaper and remove it from wallpaper glue more quickly. To do this, mix equal parts vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle and mist the wallpaper to soften it. Then allow the substance to act for at least 15 minutes before removing the wallpaper using the methods above.
Use steam devices and use practical tips to remove various wallpapers
An equally effective method is to use common steam irons or steam generators to remove wallpaper. You can also use regular irons by additionally moistening a piece of cotton fabric and using it when ironing the wallpaper. It would be better to work together with your helper holding the fabric while you iron the wallpaper. Here are a few more tips you can follow when you need to remove various types of wallpaper:
- When removing very thick fabrics, you can use a wallpaper spiked roller as a specially designed tool. This can be used to make small holes in the wallpaper. The steam method is perfect for this in this case as steam penetrates through the holes making removal a breeze. This is a recommended approach even if there is paint on the wallpaper.
- After removing the wallpaper, you can get rid of the remaining adhesive residue with a sponge and spatula or sandpaper soaked in wallpaper stripper or warm water. Then level the wall surface well before applying new coating.
- Wallpaper glued with polyvinyl acetate (PVA) is often difficult to remove. This is a water-insoluble wallpaper glue and the above methods may not work. In such cases, you may also need to use a sander, which may cause damage to the wall surface.
- With any of the methods described, the most important thing is to be patient, as this task takes time and could be tedious.
