Wallpaper Removal Doesn’t Need to Be A Pain! Here’s How the Pros Do It.
Decades ago, wallpaper was all the rage in homes – but now it’s typically just a fading, peeling eyesore. Most interior renovations of older homes start with wallpaper removal, and that’s something you can do yourself if you want to save some money.
We’ve also seen a lot of DIY wallpaper removal projects go awry, so we wanted to share some tips on how to do it right – like the pros!
Four Ways to Improve Your DIY Wallpaper Removal
- Protect everything vulnerable
Loosening wallpaper involves spraying it down with hot water, so you need to make sure that the water doesn’t cause any other damage. Use tarps to protect your floor, secure with painter’s tape, and be sure to cover up all your electrical outlets as well.
The tarp on the ground will also catch small flakes and debris, which helps speed up cleanup afterward.
- Sometimes you get lucky
Older wallpaper sometimes starts to come loose from the wall on its own, which makes your life a lot easier. Before wetting the wall, use a scraper to peel up the upper edge of the wallpaper, then see if you can just peel it off with a downward pull. This isn’t always going to happen, but sometimes it’ll come free without any drama.
- Score the wallpaper before wetting
If you do need to use hot water to loosen the glue, it’s best to start off by scoring the wallpaper. Almost any cutting blade can do this, but use a light touch. You don’t want to damage the wall underneath. Just open up the outer layers of the wallpaper, so the water you spray can penetrate down to the glue.
- Use a mixture rather than just plain water
Hot water by itself can penetrate the wallpaper, but you can help the process along by adding either fabric softener or vinegar to the mix. Different types of wallpaper respond differently to various chemicals, so you might do a little experimenting here to find the best mix to fit your own wallpaper.
C.E.T. Painting
Stripping wallpaper can be fun, even a bit satisfying, but it’s still a lot of work. If you’d rather let the pros handle the job, C.E.T. Painting has extensive experience in wallpaper removal across Westchester County. Contact us to schedule a service appointment!