I was reading some DIY posts about removing wallpaper yourself. Some of the stories were pretty funny. I remember removing wallpaper from my home years ago and the one thing that stands out in that memory how completely drenched I was from steaming the paper off of the wall. I guess the most important thing to figure out prior to removing the wallpaper is how was it attached to the wall. Old fashioned wallpaper glue is the worst….a nightmare of a task in fact! I read a story about a man who decided to remove the old wallpaper in his home and began to steam the walls. Before he knew it, the plaster walls were tumbling down around him!
If the walls were primed before the wallpaper was applied, you are in luck. Basically primed walls make it much easier for wallpaper removal because it prevents glue from soaking into walls. Anyone who’s managed to remove wallpaper quickly and easily had walls that were sealed with wallpaper primer before they were papered.
If the walls have not been primed, be prepared for “water world” because you really have to soak the wallpaper for it to be removed…..not so easily but removed at least. You first score or perforate the paper and its backing in sections so water can soak through and loosen the glue. Douse the perforated paper with hot water using a pump or compression sprayer…not your empty Windex sprayer bottle! Soak the paper for about 15 minutes and scrape it off with a putty knife.It is not fun or easy. It could take you six hours for an average room, but that’s way better than the days of effort it could take if you don’t know what you’re doing!
My favorite story that I came across was the woman who was so overwhelmed by the prospect of removing 40-year-old wallpaper from several rooms that she actually knocked down a couple of walls rather than spend sweat and tears removing the dang wallpaper!
