Forum
« Skylight Heat Mitigation? Looking for woodworking classes? »
April 28, 2009
Wallpaper removal
How do you remove a wallpaper?
I would like to repaint my bathroom but have no clue how to get rid off that old wallpaper I had put on years ago.
Many thanks.
Comments
There are many different ways depending on what kind of paper it is & how it was put on as well as what's the underlying surface. Sometimes you luck out & it strips right off. You may need a steamer, or a wall paper stripper liquid that you can get at HD or Lowe's. Look in the Forum archives - there is a recent in-depth discussion of different techniques.
Posted by: Arkady at April 28, 2009 4:44 PM
the way i see it typically done is to use a wallpaper scorer or a razor to make perforations in the material. after that, run a steamer over the surface -- the steam will penetrate the paper through the perforations and it should peel off.
if you worry about damaging your walls with the scorer or don't want to use harsh strippers, try using ordinary liquid fabric softener, diluted with hot water (as hot as you can stand to use) and applied to the walls. follow that up with the steamer.
Posted by: duckumu at April 28, 2009 5:07 PM
Start with the most low tech methods and work your way up. You could start with seeing if a corner will work up, then using a scraper to take more off. Don't rent the steamer or use remover stuff until you've tried just working it off.
Posted by: bessie2 at April 28, 2009 5:28 PM
Thank you guys!
I have a clothes steamer, would that work? I peeled a bit off the wall and it’s not coming off easily and the idea with the fabric softener is great, never heard of it.
Posted by: karo25 at April 29, 2009 11:11 AM
I just use really hot water, a sponge, and a scraper. The key is to get the glue behind the paper hot. Once the glue is loosened, find a seam and scrape away.
I'm not a contractor, but this has worked for me on 3+ occasions. Just make sure you wash down the wall after to get the excess glue off.
Posted by: mrkknox at April 29, 2009 3:57 PM
Will do, thanks!
Posted by: karo25 at April 30, 2009 11:18 AM
You can rent a steamer from Home Depot. It comes with the scorer and works amazingly well. Seriously. Bill who works in the tool rental department at the Home Depot in Gowanus is very helpful. We did not have any damage to the walls. Just make sure you have some absorbent rags on hand.
Posted by: cmcu at April 30, 2009 7:14 PM
Don;t bother with a steamer, that just takes forever and wears out your arm from having to hold it as you creep along. Just get the little scorer tool that you swirl around to create tiny holes, then mix 3/4 water to 1/4 fabric softener (Downy, Final touch, cheapo brand, etc) in a spray bottle, mist it heavily and let it soak in for about 10 minutes then it will almost fall off as you peel it away. Fabric softener is the key. Ammonia in the water will also work but fabric softener works better.
Posted by: williamsburgguy at April 30, 2009 8:42 PM
I'm a big fan of the steamer method as it's very easy and just requires a little patience. Since you're only doing a bathroom, it's hardly going to take any time at all.
I don't know how much it costs to rent a steamer but they are cheap enough to buy outright (it's only a giant kettle with a hose).
This is what you need:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100532752
You might think it's a waste to buy this tool to do this one job but you can get different attachments that will turn it into a steam cleaner, oven cleaner, etc. Very underrated tool.
Never tried williamsburgguy's method and not going to knock it if it works. I think I would rather lean against a wall than pump a spray bottle a few hundred times.
Posted by: the chicken at May 1, 2009 4:03 AM
Might be even cheaper than $50. This is what I have:
Works out to about $30 so just look for something similar.
Posted by: the chicken at May 1, 2009 4:05 AM
Thank you again!
Posted by: karo25 at May 12, 2009 2:06 PM
Spray wall paper with fabric softner, leave it on for a few minutes, then peel and scrap the glue off with a putty knief. it's very easy.
Posted by: ClintonHillGal at May 16, 2009 12:14 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.