How to Properly Remove Wallpaper

Removing old wallpaper is a messy job, but is necessary if you want to repaint the walls. You can’t just repaint over it after all. While this home improvement project is time-consuming and tedious, there’s a way to do it with minimal fuss.

In this post, our home improvement experts at Handyman Connection of Winter Park discuss how to properly remove old wallpaper.

Secure the Floor

Start by securing the floor and the trim of the wall. You’ll be using hot water later to remove the wallpaper, and you don’t want to get the floor and baseboard wet. Tape plastic to the baseboard and make it overlap a bit to around two feet. Press hard on the tape to ensure a watertight seal. Finally, cover the draped plastic with another layer of plastic and top that off with some towels.

Pull and Tear

Now, you’ll be tearing off the wallpaper. Start at an edge or corner, preferably under a switch plate as the paper here is flimsy and loose. You can use a putty knife to lift and loosen the edge more, and pull with a slow and steady force.

The Hot Water Treatment

Unfortunately, simply tearing off the wallpaper won’t cut and you’ll most likely leave some patches of it on the wall. These can be very difficult to loosen up, even with your handy putty knife. Apply some hot water to the wall to ease the removal.

We recommend using the back area of the sponge or a floor mop so you have steady control where you apply the hot water. After the first water application, let it sit for 15 minutes. You may have to do this several times to soften up the paste.

Scrape the Wall

This is the easy part. Just scrape off the backing and every space of the paste on the wall. Use a metal spatula or a putty knife with a flexible blade. Do this in a steady manner; don’t aggressively remove the backing or paste as you might gouge the wall.

Patch the Wall

The last part involves repairing, sanding and priming the wall. Patch any gouges or damage to the wall with a joint compound, then sand it using a 120-grit drywall sanding or a hand sander. Finally, prime the walls with the appropriate primer to finish the job.

Keep this in mind when you’re planning to remove old wallpaper. Alternatively, you can just contact our team from Handyman Connection of Winter Park. Call us today at (407) 270-2348 to learn more about our services. You may also fill out our online form to request more information about what we offer.