Unfortunately, when it comes to wallpaper, there’s going to come a time when it needs to come down. Whether you’re ready to repaper the wall or are keen to try something new, you’re going to have to take down the existing wallpaper at some point. Doing so can be an absolute nightmare, especially if you’ve never done it before. The fact you’ve stumbled across this post would suggest you don’t know how to remove wallpaper correctly or have never done it before. Don’t worry if that’s the case because we have you covered.
In this post, we will show you exactly how to remove wallpaper. No matter what type of wallpaper you need to remove, we’ll show you how to remove it in the quickest, most hassle-free way. If you want help stripping your wallpaper, make sure you keep reading!
Prepare Your Room First
Prepare Your Room First
You can’t even think about removing any wallpaper before first preparing the room you plan on decorating. You need to clear the floor as best as you possibly can to ensure you can freely walk around the room when removing the paper. To do this, you should first move any furniture towards the center of the room and take down any frames off the wall. If possible, then try to place most things in another room. Leaving larger pieces of furniture in the middle of the room is fine. Once this has been done and the room is clear, you need to cut the power and identify the type of wallpaper you have. You’ll find more details about these factors below.
Cutting The Power
It is important to cut the power off before you start removing any wallpaper. You should also cover any electrical outlets and light switches using painter’s tape. This is important because it ensures your safety when removing the wallpaper.
It’s always better to be safer than sorry and you can never be too cautious when using water in and around electrical outlets.
Identify The Type Of Wallpaper And Wall You Have
Before starting the removal process, you need to know which type of wall it is that you own. You need to know if it is a drywall or plaster wall. The reason for this is quite simple. Drywalls are easily damaged by water when it gets too wet, therefore you would need to use a different method to remove the paper. Knowing the type of wallpaper you have is also useful.
You can identify the type of paper you have by using a putty knife to peel back a corner of the paper. If it comes off straight away, you have strippable wallpaper. If your wallpaper peels away and leaves a paper backing, you’ve got yourself peelable paper. If the paper doesn’t move at all, you have a traditional type of wallpaper. Now you know what type of wallpaper you have, we can show you how to remove each type.
Removing Strippable Wallpaper
Strippable wallpaper is the easiest type of wallpaper to remove. Below we have given you clear instructions on how to do so safely and effectively.
1. Grab Your Materials: Firstly, you need to gather the required materials needed to remove the paper. For this type of paper, you need a putty knife, water, soap, and some rags.
2. Loosen One Corner And Pull: Next, you need to use your putty knife to lift up a corner of the wallpaper. Using your hands, start peeling the paper back from the wall, keeping it as close to the wall as possible so that it doesn’t tear. Repeat this step around the room.
3. Clean Your Walls: When all of the paper has been removed, clean your walls using soap and some warm water. This will remove any residue leftover. The walls can then be left to dry.
Removing Traditional Wallpaper
Unfortunately, removing traditional wallpaper is a little more time-consuming. Following the steps below will help you remove it as effectively as possible.
1. Grab Your Materials: For this method, you will need the following:
- Water
- Wallpaper stripper
- Putty knife
- Ladder
- Soap
- Rags
- Rubber gloves
- Spray bottle
2. Make The Solution: Mix hot water with the wallpaper stripper, following the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Apply The Mixture: Using your spray bottle, spray the solution across the wall in sections of approximately 3 feet. Let the solution sit for several minutes.
4. Scrape The Paper Off: You can now use your putty knife to scrape the wallpaper off the walls. Start from the bottom of the wall and make your way up. Try not to scrape the drywall as you remove the paper.
5. Clean The Wall: The final step is to clean the walls down using soapy warm water. This will again remove any leftover residue.
Removing Peelable Wallpaper
Removing peelable wallpaper takes quite a long time so you need to be patient. Again follow the steps below if you want to remove the paper successfully.
1. Grab Your Materials: For this method, you will need water, wallpaper stripper, a spray bottle, a putty knife, a ladder, soap, rags, and rubber gloves.
2. Remove The First Layer: You now need to remove the first layer of paper. To do this, loosen one corner using your putty knife and pull the paper off, again staying nice and close so it doesn’t rip.
3. Remove The Wallpapers Backing: The last thing you need to do is remove the wallpaper backing. You can do this by following the same method used to remove traditional wallpaper.
Final Thoughts
Removing wallpaper can be an arduous task even when you know what you're doing. However, the painstaking process becomes well worth it when you’ve finally repapered the wall and brought your room to life once again. In this post, we have shown you how to remove the three main types of wallpaper, looking at how to do it quickly, safely, and effectively. All you need to do now is get your room prepared, identify your wallpaper, and follow the instructions we have set out for you. Good luck!
