Having wallpaper in your home has the potential to be nice. This doesn’t mean that everyone wants to utilize wallpaper, though. You might have purchased a home that has wallpaper on the walls recently. If you want to change things up, it’s best to remove the wallpaper before you decide to paint.
You can technically paint over wallpaper, but this won’t be the best choice. Removing wallpaper is the way to go, but you might not know how to approach the situation. How can you remove wallpaper successfully? Read on to get all of the important details.
There Are Different Types of Wallpaper
Note that there are different types of wallpaper. The different wallpaper types will have slightly different methods of removal. Below, you’ll learn how to remove peelable wallpaper, washable wallpaper, and strippable wallpaper. Once you’ve read about each type, it’ll be easier to figure out the best path forward.
How to Remove Peelable Wallpaper
Peelable wallpaper won’t be that tough to remove from the walls overall. Get started by peeling away the topcoat. The top vinyl coat should come off relatively easily when removing the wallpaper by hand. It might take a little bit of work if the wallpaper is old, but stick with it and you should reveal the backing.
Removing the backing is important. To remove the backing, it’s best to use hot water and liquid stripper concentrate. You can make a mixture of the concentrate and hot water that can be applied to the walls. Use a brush to apply this mixture to the walls and then scrape the backing away using a scraping tool.
If this method doesn’t work, you might need to use coarse sandpaper instead. Sandpaper should have an easier time removing the wet wallpaper backing. You can also use this trick on the topcoat if it’s being stubborn. This will take a bit of time to accomplish, but you can remove all of the wallpaper using this method.
How to Remove Washable Wallpaper
Washable wallpaper is designed to allow you to wash the walls with water. It has a surface that’s a bit harder to remove from the walls than other types of wallpaper. This doesn’t mean that you can’t remove it, though. Use water to get through the paper and then remove it.
It’s easier to get good results if you poke holes in the wallpaper. This makes it easier for the water to get through. Allow the water to soak through the paper for approximately ten minutes. Once time has passed, it should be possible to remove the wallpaper with a scraping tool.
Some people wind up using putty knives to remove washable wallpaper. It will take a lot of effort to scrape the wallpaper away. Don’t expect this to be a fast process. You can get the job done, but it will require dedication.
How to Remove Strippable Wallpaper
Strippable wallpaper is the easiest to remove. Count yourself lucky if this is the type that’s present in your home. Start peeling the wallpaper away by finding the corner edge at the bottom of the wall. You can use a knife to get things started and then begin stripping the wallpaper from there.
Just keep pulling and stripping the wallpaper away from the wall. If you’re lucky, most of the wallpaper will come off easily. Sometimes bits of paper might get stuck to the wall and you’ll need to cut it away. So keep a knife handy and use it as necessary.
If things go really bad, you can always use the water method that was outlined earlier. Soak the wall with a bit of hot water and see if that helps. It might make it easier to strip stubborn pieces off of the wall. Generally, strippable wallpaper will take less time to remove than the other types.
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