How to Remove Wallpaper
by Benchmark Painting on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
It was so lovely in the ‘80s wasn’t it? And now you’re stuck with that pastel flowery paper in your upstairs bathroom, and it’s peeling and tearing and driving you crazy. Don’t let wallpaper removal intimidate you. With these tips, anyone can attack that pesky paper. Just think of the feeling of victory you’ll have when you’re finally rid of it!
1. Don’t take the shortcut.
We’ve all thought about it, and it may be tempting to update a room's look in your home and paint over that wallpaper, but it is almost never a good idea. Your paper will retain moisture and continue to peel, bringing your paint up with it. Tackle the root problem and get rid of that paper before applying a fresh coat of paint.
2. Forgo the steamer.
While steamers were once a popular way to remove wallpaper, they have gone out of mode for their cumbersome nature and because they would often burn people. Plus, they weren’t that time effective in the first place.
3. Find a solution.
You can actually purchase a concentrated wallpaper remover solution that you simply mix with water and spray on the paper. You can either buy these retail for less than $5 or find simple recipes online to create your own.
4. Scrape it away.
Spray your solution on the paper, and then try first removing it by hand and then with a putty knife, being careful to scrape it off without digging into the drywall with the corners of the knife. You may discover a few layers of wallpaper, but by spraying and scraping, you should be able to have your walls crisp again in no time.
You may feel like you spent half of the ‘90s scraping wallpaper, or this may be your first time. With a little patience, elbow grease and a giant trash can, you can conquer a room of any size. Be sure to start on a small patch just a few feet by a few feet to test the solution and make sure you have a system that works before attacking a whole room.
If you get that wallpaper scraped and don’t feel like spending another second in the room, whether you're located in the Washington D.C. area or West Palm Beach, FL, you can give us a call so we can send a professional paint contractor to come give you a fresh coat of paint. You will love the result!
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