I posted this question on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago and got some really good feedback. I have several rooms in our home that I’m itching to tackle, but when I start reading about the process, it all seems overwhelming.
Our powder room is where I plan to learn the art of wallpaper removal first. It’s a really small room with no windows and little lighting. Should be fun!
Ignore the fabric and paint samples pinned up above the sink. I keep playing around with different options; then, I remember I actually have to take down the wallpaper before I even think about any of that. The gold bamboo mirror is the same one I had in our entry at the last house, and I like the way it works with the pedestal sink.
I was considering getting one of these steamers—about a $50 investment, which isn’t too bad considering how much wallpaper we have to take down around here. I’ve heard good and bad things about these. Here’s one review I found via Pinterest.
But, on Facebook, several commenters said that a spray bottle of water and fabric softener works like a charm. Another blogger swears by this concoction:
image: Notes From the Heartland
Help! What are your best wallpaper removal tips? And, how long is this going to take me??
We had a similar very small powder room with blue and gold wallpaper as well as a red painted ceiling. I thought it would be easy to take down in between my twins' naps... Well... That was when they were babies and I was irrational.
ReplyDeleteTo get it down I tried the fabric softener method, the scratcher method and finally resorted to using my clothing steamer. I think the steamer worked best, but it still takes foooorrrreeevvveerrr. The worst part is once you are done... The walls typically need a lot of repair :(.
I have a steamer but actually prefer the hot water fabric softener method over it.
ReplyDeleteI have found that if the walls were primed really well before the paper was applied that you can just spray with warm water and peel right off. If they were not primed, I score with a Paper Tiger and then spray with hot water and remove. I then mud over the damaged areas and sand. I have had some come off with absolutely no drywall damage and some needed a ton of drywall mud to repair. Good luck! You never know until you just get in there and pull off a piece!
ReplyDeleteI am a steamer and scraper. I have that same steamer you put on, and for me, that has worked better than the spray on concoctions. But maybe I don't know how to use those correctly? Steamers work like a dream for me.
ReplyDeleteWe had wallpaper all through our kitchen and didn't have too many problems taking it down. It's tedious, but doable. First, my husband pulled the top layer off the wall. We were usually able to grab a corner and pull of a section. That revealed the more paper-like layer. I sprayed it with one of the wallpaper remover solutions they sell at HD. We bought a big bottle of concentrate. Once we sprayed the solution on the paper layer, we just had to wait a couple minutes to scrape it off. Then we had to wash the walls a couple times with plain water to get all the glue residue off the walls. Again, tedious but totally worth it! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIn our dining room it came off easy with spray bottle, scour tool, as scraper - big sections came right off. Our entry was a nightmare. Tiny pieces, including chunks do drywall came down! Had to call in the professionals. What we found was the foyer paper was original to our 1959 home and the dining was recent and they primed before hanging the paper. I would guess (and hope for your sake!) that it will come down well for you because your home is newer. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! We literally *just* did this at my SIL's new house. We used the fabric softener/water concoction and it was perfect. We used a bunch of spray bottles, doused the wallpaper, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and started peeling. The wallpaper was super old, so we had to peel off the first layer & then spray the layer underneath [I think it was the glue layer?] but once that was doused, it came off just as easily.
ReplyDeleteA couple years back I helped my mom take theirs down and we tried both the steamer & the vinegar/water mixture, but NEITHER of those worked even close to as well as the fabric softener mix. I definitely recommend it!
Don't use a Paper Tiger. In my experience, it shreds the paper and damages the wall underneath. I have used a steamer and it worked pretty well, but unless you can rent one I don't think I'd spring for one until you try another method. In my current home I used this method http://thedevinehome.com/the-secret/ to remove wallpaper in my kids' bathroom and found it to be pretty effective. The real key is HOT water, multiple sprayings, and patience.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
Hi, I've had good results using the Paper Tiger and the remover solution that goes with it from Home Depot. You score the paper with the Paper Tiger (give it fits!) then spray with the solution (made with hot water) and let it soak a bit. While it's still wet just rub and pull the paper off. Most of it will just rub right off. Some will need some scraping. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI just removed wallpaper 2 weeks ago. Get the DIF gel concentrate. Home Depot carries it. I wouldn't waste the time with a steamer, other stripper brands, or fabric softer - they all just create a big mess! Luckily, my walls were primed /sized properly, as that really is a big help! I pulled off all the paper I could, then applied the gel with a paint roller. Worked like a dream and the gel doesn't drip everywhere! In the event your top paper layer doesn't come off 1st - to leave the thin paper backing - you might have to use that tool that perforates the paper. The key is to let the gel do its thing with the thin paper backing and the adhesive. Apply it, wait a bit, then start scraping!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI would recommend the steamer. After steaming the wallpaper in our bathroom I taught my 2 year old how to rip it off and he was a great help!
ReplyDeleteAfter removing paper in our third house, I discovered DIF Gel too.
ReplyDeleteIf possible, tear off the top layer of paper, then roll on DIF with a paint roller and use a PLASTIC putty knife or something similar to take off the backing.
If the top layer won't come off - then Paper Tiger if necessary to let DIF Gel soak through to get glue to loosen up.
Whoever had this house before was wallpaper nuts - they did the dining room, kitchen, family room and All four bathrooms. I was stripping paper in my sleep... And Liz and Scott is right, I've typically had to have most of my walls skim coated before they could be painted :(
Master bedroom still has a lovely toile that I don't have the guts to tackle ;-)
I used fabric softener in one of my houses that has every walk covered with wallpaper. I tore off as much wall paper that I could to start. Then scored what was left in random spots with an exacto knife. Then sprayed with the fabric softener concoction and scraped away. Be prepared to patch holes, etc. that same house the previous owners used rubber cement to adhere a border. It was mess, taking it off required removing drywall. Ugly job. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteEmily, I just recently removed 18 year old wallpaper from a bedroom and it was a real chore!!!! We scraped and sprayed and steamed!!! Here is what I found works best.
ReplyDeleteWe got a little device that "scores" the wall paper, called Paper Tiger, and used that first. Then we sprayed DIFF (the other methods did not work as well) and then we used a steamer to steam it off. It was so worth the cost. We had done a half of a wall without the steamer and was literally peeling it off an inch at a time.
Just keep the new decor in mind while you are working!
If your wallpaper was properly applied, I have found the DIF to work well. However, I have several rooms where wallpaper was adhered directly to drywall. It was near to impossible to remove!
ReplyDeleteI found this product thru another blog, between naps on porch.
ReplyDeletehttp://safeandsimple.com/new/Main.htm
My daughter bought a house that had wallpaper that wouldn't budge from the walls. We tried EVERYTHING and this product was the only thing that worked for us. I don't get anything from this company at all but when I use something that works I tell others about it, and this stuff really WORKS.
Good luck because I know how much work is involved in removing wallpaper. My daughter swears she will never have it in her house as well.
The easiest, and fastest wallpaper removal experience I ever had was after watching and following the steps in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma0-X8mo9tQ Basically, buy a sprayer in the gardening section at the home improvement store ($20), find DIF concentrate - not the gel. If your Home Depot does not sell it, I've found it at Walmart and Kelly Moore Paint ($7-$12). Prepare the solution as the bottle states. Start spraying the walls, keep going over them to make sure they do not dry out, even as you begin peeling. After the first section has been up on the wall a few minutes, try peeling up a section, if it does not start to come up in one long section, stop and spray some more solution on. After you have removed all the top layer, do the same steps with the backing, if it will not peel up in one layer, use your scraper to get that layer and the glue off. Do not use a paper tiger tool, except as a last result. It makes a lot more work (which is true in all the other experiences I've tried it). Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIs it paper backed or fabric backed? That makes a difference when you're removing.
ReplyDeleteIf it's fabric backed, the steamer is your best bet, the liquids won't work well. If it's paper backed, you may have good luck wetting it down to remove it.
How the walls were primed when it went up, and how quality the wallpaper is will also affect the process. Nicely primed walls and quality wallpaper makes things simple to remove.
Steamers are the way to go, it will keep your sanity!
ReplyDeleteJan @ door251.com
Don't waste your money on a steamer, it never worked for me! My favorite mix is warm water with a little bit of Dawn dish soap (original-not Ultra) mixed in a spray bottle. Spray on the paper, wait 20 minutes or so and start peeling. Sometimes you have to peel the top color layer off and then re-wet the paper backing and peel it off. In my experience, if it's not peeling easily, re-wet and wait a few more minutes. Ugh! This is my least favorite job ever!
ReplyDeleteThe only way the fabric softener will work is IF the walls were sized BEFORE the wallpaper was applied. If the walls were not sized then your best bet is a steamer. It is (VERY) messy but will do the job. Trying to remove wallpaper from walls that haven't been sized with a paper tiger, fabric softener, etc. will only result in huge amounts of frustration - not to mention damaged drywall. Not worth it.
ReplyDeleteI just peeled wallpaper off a huge room and did it with a spray bottle of hot water and a few drops of dish soap. I peeled the top layer off dry, which leaves the paper backing still stuck to the wall, and then soaked that down with the soapy water and it came right off in large pieces. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLoved everyone's tips here. I have very very thick old wallpaper in my dining room that I am dreading to remove. Does anyone's tips change if the walls are plaster? I'm nervous to start. Also, Emily - love your blog!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I redid the nursery at our church, that wallpaper had been stuck on the walls for a LONG...long...long time. We bought a rotary cutter thing - do not do that...it messes up the sheetrock underneath. But, what I found to be the easiest thing was a spary bottle of hot water, a wet rag, and a hand-held flat scraper thing. We sprayed the wallpaper down with hot water, scrubbed them with the rag started scratching it with the flat head scraper, flush with the wall, so as not to scratch the wall beneath. And, honestly, it peeled off very easy. We tried the hard way for three days using fabric softener and that rotary cutter thing and finally after just hot water and good old-fashioned elbow grease...it came off in less than two hours!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!!!
I just did it recently, as well and have always used the water and fabric softener, works like a charm! Doesn't your husband owe you one for having those babies? :)
ReplyDeleteI think you should try first the spray bottle of water and fabric softener trick. Its much more cheaper. If it doesn't work then you can go ahead with the steamer idea.
ReplyDeletebeanbags
I've only done it once but I used distilled vinegar and water. It was messy but it worked. My powder room has wallpaper that needs to come down too - but after tackling my dining room I've chosen to turn a blind eye.
ReplyDeleteGetting someone else to do it, works best for me. I did it 14 years ago, and I have not recovered from it, yet. I used a steamer.
ReplyDeleteIve got two rooms that I need to strip and after reading all of these tips and advice...I am dreading it even more! Oddly enough...I am also considering hanging wallpaper in my powder room...the "to do" list never ends!
ReplyDeleteCheck out Susan's remedy from betweennapsontheporch.net
ReplyDeleteI removed an entire hall & landing area last year & the only real solution is lots of hot water & a thin metal flexible blade knife similar for patching a drywall hole.
Good luck
Barbara
we actually painted over ours in a small powder room. It turned out really nice, you just have to make sure the wallpaper was glued down well.
ReplyDeleteWhat Thomtiger said--just keep your fingers crossed that someone didn't apply the paper directly to unprimed drywall. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEmily, I have removed several rooms of wall paper in my lifetime. It is time consuming work so be ready for that. If the paper is strippable that means the top layer will come off leaving a backing(that is good) If the top layer does not pull off you will need to use a paper tiger to preforate the paper so the solution can get to the back. Put down plastic on your floor and then old towels. Use the hottest water you can and spray away, let it soak and spray again. The biggest mistake people make is impatience, the backing has to be wet enough to dissolve the paste. Once you get it to release, get a plastic spatula, it won't gouge the sheet rock, then scrape away. Clean with tsp, let dry then use a good primer like Zinsser before painting. Good luck and remember it is very time consuming.
ReplyDeleteRead all about my process here: http://athousandlaughingstarfish.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-remove-wallpaper.html
ReplyDeleteBut to make a long story short, Windex will become your new best friend! Works like a charm for everything from getting the top decorative layer off to removing the paper and glue layer residue.
Good luck! So worth it in the end.
Live Inspired,
Heidi Chamoun
athousandlaughingstarfish.blogspot.com
We had old-school wall paper in a kitchen and dining room. We used hot water and vinegar in a spray bottle, but still had to use a small putty knife to remove small pieces at a time. I tackled it when my youngest was turning a year old- and worked on it every nap and after bedtime for weeks. In the end we had to have someone come in and re-texture the wall! I know wallpaper has been trending again the past few years, but I think that anyone who is considering wallpaper, should be required to strip some first! It makes my hand cramp just thinking about it! Good luck. I think the newer papers, if applied properly w/ a good primer, are easier to remove. I hope that is the case for you!
ReplyDeleteWe used both a steamer and just a spray bottle of warm water mixed with a bit of dish soap. I ended up using the spray bottle more than the steamer because the soap helped with the massive amounts of glue under the wallpaper. I would soak a large space with water/soap concoction and then scrape with the scraper thing.
ReplyDeleteLots of opinions! We did this last summer in 3 rooms and had good success with just hot water and white vinegar in a spray bottle with a good plastic sprayer. Inexpensive and non toxic, though stinky. I think the key is to really soak the paper and let it sit a bit before scraping. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAfter taking down many rooms of wallpaper and trying just about everything .... my favorite thing was a heavy duty steamer I rented from a rental place and a small scraper.
ReplyDeleteAfter taking down many rooms of wallpaper and trying just about everything .... my favorite thing was a heavy duty steamer I rented from a rental place and a small scraper.
ReplyDeleteHot water in a spray bottle and a wide putty knife are all you need. Once you get the paper off, wipe the wall down with soapy water to get the glue off.
ReplyDeleteBasically its what i need. I would keep these tips in mind.
ReplyDelete5 bedroom house plans
My parents have bought and sold many homes over the years, and many of them had wallpaper. Mom tried everything under the sun, but always went back to warm water and fabric softener. Always.
ReplyDeleteWe removed old dingy grasscloth from our living room and used M1 Remover from Home Depot and scrapers. It worked, but it is a big job. Totally worth it though! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt really depends on the wallpaper itself and on the condition of the wall when they applied it. MY WHOLE HOUSE except my powder room and the hallways were wallpapered. It seemed no matter what I tried some came off in pieces the size of my hand or smaller - or my favorite - in two layers regardless of the concoction or steamer. But the thick textured wallpaper in my room came off in full sheets by just prying up one corner. I would begin with scoring, applying your choice of warm mixture and if that's not working that great, try the steamer. I used a steamer for two rooms but found that warm water/vinegar in a spray bottle was just as good in many cases.
ReplyDeleteDish Soap and water solution is what I use.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ehow.com/how_6710995_remove-wallpaper-dishwashing-soap.html
Removing wallpaper is my FAVORITE home improvement job! Totally love it, and wish I could come over and do it for you. Kids love to do it too. I've also used WP Chomp wallpaper remover and it works well. I was using it in a bathroom when I ran out and had very little left to remove, a girlfriend recommended the dish soap solution, so I didn't have to buy another bottle of WP Chomp just for a few squirts. And dish soap has been what I've used since. I agree with Thomtiger that it depends whats under neath which will determine how hard the job will be. My last bathroom the wall paper was applied to the dry wall with no primer that was quite the job. Another bathroom I did there was semi gloss underneath and the wallpaper was down in 5 min. It was almost disappointing. LOL
We tried to spray and scrape but, ultimately needed a steamer. It took an entire weekend to do one room. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHire someone. Seriously. Wallpaper removal and drywall finishing are two jobs left to the professionals.
ReplyDeleteStart with just water and a scraper/putty knife, followed by light scrubbing to get the remaining glue. I've taken off wallpaper from the 70's and the 90's with just that.
ReplyDeleteIf yours proves to be difficult, then you can try other methods, but it's not always necessary.
Where did you get your gold bamboo mirror? Love it!
ReplyDeleteThe most important tool iwhen removing wallpaper is patience ;)
ReplyDeleteWhatever you do it will be wonderful and I am excited to see it!
I liked the DIF gel too. We tried steaming but we had too much space to cover. Unfortunately for us the previous owner attached our wallpaper directly to the drywall, which meant that we repaired walls too. No fun..hope yours goes smoother. I'm sure it will look gorgeous in the end.
ReplyDeleteDif gel wallpaper stripper!
ReplyDeleteThe concentrated solution with a roller worked best for me. Not the spray.
Good luck!
My uncle hangs and removes wall paper and I used his method this past Summer to remove wallpaper from my parents stairwell. Use fabric softner mixed with hot water in a spray bottle. Use tiger then spray like crazy, he recommends only wetting an area that you can tackle before it dries. A wide putty knife is a huge help to get the removal started. Use big cheap sponges and hot water for glue removal after wallpaper is removed (drop cloths are helpful to keep floor dry :)).
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
(Some builders wallpaper directly to drywall without priming, you'll know pretty quickly because it will come off in tiny shreds. If this happens it's easier to paint over wallpaper. I know its not ideal but a crazy mess otherwise.)
LOVE your blog and look forward to see your results!!!
Wallpaper is a nightmare to remove. Our builder did not prime the drywall before applying the ugly paper we are dealing with now. We tried everything. Including steaming, and the fabric softener idea. Nothing worked. We started to damage the walls so badly that we stopped trying. Just in the past couple days we started priming over the paper, and then we are painting over it. So far so good. I thought the primer would loosen the paper, but its fine. We will be painting this weekend. Good luck! I will never use wallpaper again.
ReplyDeleteJust one of the reasons I haven't embraced wallpaper again! In the past I've used one of those things to score the surface of the paper and then hot wiped hot water all over it with a rag.
ReplyDeleteUse the steamer!!!! I have taken down wallpaper in 4 rooms of our 15-year old foreclosure home. I started with the scraper kit from a big box store and it made holes and dings all over the place that had to be repaired. Next I tried the hot water and fabric softener route and it did not seem to work much better (which annoyed me because according to the research I'd done, it was the best method). And lastly a friend offered me their steamer. It took awhile (and was a hot process), but once you get a pattern down, it's very simple and you don't have to patch the walls after (assuming the walls were primed before the paper went up). I found that with our walls, the paper had a slick surface that would have to be removed before going back and getting the paper/glue portion that was stuck to the wall. The slick surface kept the steam from penetrating through to the glue, but could be pulled off if you find a loose edge or corner. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteWe just finished a HUGE wallpaper removal job in our 1860 home. Emily, there were SEVEN layers on all of our hallway walls and 2-3 layers ON THE CEILING!!!!!!! What a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteWe borrowed that steamer from a friend and it was great, though we wished it did a larger area at once.
One of us would use the spray bottle technique and the other used the steamer.
It took us weeks for this job but I'm assuming your bathroom doesn't have nearly as many layers as ours did.
I don't know about where you live but we could've rented a steamer from our local hardware store(per day) if we didn't want to borrow or buy one. Perhaps its worth it if you only have one small room to do.
You can read about our adventures in stripping wallpaper here:
http://www.handbagsnpigtails.com/search/label/wallpaper%20stripping
Reading it will make your job seem like nothing:)
Good luck! We had grody wallpaper in our half bath that was probably from the late 70's. On the walls, ceiling, trim, back of the door - every where. Lol..sigh... We ended up having it professionally removed because I couldn't stand the smell of the room! The walls and ceiling had to be completely re-mudded, sanded, etc because of the damage. :( Hope your experience is much, much better! Oh, and I have that SAME mirror that I plan to use in the powder room once we're finished with the remodel!
ReplyDeleteFor my needs...LOTS of super hot water and time. Keep soaking that stuff till it moves. The idea is to rewet the glue. But once it's good and soaked it comes off like butter with a putty knife. :)
ReplyDeleteI use hot tap water with a squirt of Dawn in it. I get the paper REALLY wet (put towels down at the baseboards) and then let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes. If it seems like it has dried out at all I spray it some more. Once it seems super saturated I start peeling. The best situation (other than it coming completely off in sheets) is when the top paper layer comes off and leaves an underlayer with the glue. Then you can rewet the glue and carefully scrape it off with a plastic broadknife or putty knife.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing, I've found, is to be patient. If you are peeling off a section and it starts to pull the drywall paper off with it, STOP and try starting in another place. It's tempting to just yank the drywall paper off, too, to be done with it, but then the repair process is a royal PITA. I would say I spend about 30% of the total time peeling wallpaper, 20% washing off glue residue (don't skimp or your paint will flake/peel!), 30% repairing the drywall, and only 20% priming/painting. So basically, think about how long it would take you to paint and then multiply that times 5.
Good luck! You'll be SO GLAD when you're done!
I've done a fair share of wallpaper removing. I've used HOT water and dish soap (not dishwashing soap) in a small spray bottle.
ReplyDeleteSpray it on liberally and let it sit. How long? Just do a test "rip" here and there. If it doesn't start coming off, repeat.
My paper always came off in layers. The top patterned layer usually just peeled off and then I had to rewet the under-layer of paper again. Then it more or less just had to be kinda gently scraped off with a plastic spatula or sometimes a little more "oomph" with a small putty knife.
Like one reader said, "You'll be SO glad when it's gone." :-)
Can't wait to see what you do with it next!
DON'T USE FABRIC SOFTENER unless it is UNSCENTED!!!!! You will pass out from the smell. Trust me! I recently removed wall paper from 3 rooms. I hope I NEVER have to do it again. Ours wasn't installed properly so it ended up ripping to cardboard and we had to have it skim coated. We tried the scoring, DIF which worked but was very messy and very slow. The fabric softener didn't work for us b/c the smell was SO extremely potent I had to stop after a couple sprays. We rented a steamer from home depot. It didn't work. we finally remembered we had a little handheld steamer. We used the little spackle knives and would steam and peel. If I had it to do all over again, I would PAINT OVER THE WALLPAPER!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe fabric softener did NOT work for me, I've tried it! I had the best luck with wall paper pirhanna I bought at home depot or lowes ( cant remember which ) and also boiling hot water poured into a garden sprayer and I soaked the walls. I've taken down 4 rooms of wallpaper in the past two years.
ReplyDeleteEqual parts water and vinegar. Spray a couple of sections of the wall. Go back to the first section, and it pretty much pulls right off. Spray the next section and go back to the section you sprayed right before and peel that off. You may have to use a scraper once in awhile, but honestly I've always been able to peel most of it off.
ReplyDeleteI've removed lots of wallpaper at my cottage and I use hot water with some dish soap in a spray bottle. Wet a small area, let sit for a few minutes and take the first layer of paper off with a steel scraper. Just be careful not to gouge the wall. Then wet the under layer (paper layer) again with the same solution and let sit for a few minutes. It comes off easily with the scraper. You'll need to wash the walls with TSP thoroughly before you paint, to ensure that all the glue residue is gone. Good luck, can't wait to see the results.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend's dad sold wall paper for years, so he told us how to get it down! It works well. We certainly had a lot of wall paper to test it out with!
ReplyDeleteScore the wall paper with a paper tiger. Then soak sections of the wall paper with the following solution - Put equal parts hot water and vinegar in a spray bottle and just a little bit of liquid fabric softener. Peel off the wall paper. Scrub drywall with a plastic scouring pad (that you use on dishes) to get the glue off. Make sure it is all off by using a squeegee. Works like a charm! (Still a MAJOR pain in the biscuits though!) Good luck!
Our entire house was wallpaper when we bought it :( We are down to two rooms left. The steamer is worth every penny!
ReplyDeleteOne more steamer vote! You can rent them, too... But then you have to hurry! I fond that the paper came down in sheets.... I tried scoring but I hated the millions of paper shreds. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have taken down wallpaper down in a couple of spaces and have found that it honestly depends on how well they prepped the walls before they hung the wallpaper. I just scored the wallpaper, sprayed the walls with wallpaper remover, let it soak for a while and then start pulling / scraping. On the plus side, that is a small space. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've done the scorer, the steamer, and the sprays. I think you should test a part of the bathroom to see what you're dealing with: a solution that works on thin paper may not work well on thick paper. The last wallpaper I took down was THICK (and hideous). I scored it, sprayed the solution the big retailers sell, and then left it over night to help dissolve the glue. The next morning, I got to work with the steamer and it came off like a butter wrapper. I tried it a few ways and in different combos, but that made it come off without tearing up the walls!
ReplyDeleteI've removed wallpaper in 6 rooms of my home (!) and so far the best way I've found is plain old water and a putty knife to scrape. The fabric softener smell makes me sick after a while and I'm too cheap to buy a steamer so I just scrape away! How long it takes might depend on how old the paper is (mine was about 100 years old and took forever) but some of the newer rooms were a vinyl coated paper and came off really nice. Good luck, and be patient!
ReplyDeleteChomp....works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteHire a professional! I spent 4 days scoring, soaking, steaming, scraping and stripping paper from our small Powder room. I was left with torn wallboard, worn nerves and paper on the wall. Save yourself the headache friend, hire a professional.
ReplyDeletehere is my best tip....hire somebody :) hee haw.
ReplyDeleteBut I am sure you will find time with 5 kids to get this done...how...I do not know.
I've only had the joy of removing wallpaper that was 40 years old, not a more recent kind which I would hope is somewhat easier. I would buy any steamers, tools, etc you can find. It was a pretty painful experience, not sure how long it took bc I was 17 but it was on the ceiling too... at least a week, prob 2. I'm sure they've come up with much better methods since then but it was the worst DIY experience to date. Maybe your older kids could get their own spray and scraper to help :) Looking forward to seeing the results!
ReplyDeleteI have a ton of wallpaper to take down and I've been working our upstairs and downstairs hallways. After trying many a methods, I found that scoring it with a wallpaper scorer and then using Diff GEL remover works better. I tried the fabric softener and although it smelled nice, it was overwhelmingly strong and didn't work quite as well as the Diff Gel. We have had to get the dry wall guy to repair any damage, paint with oil base primer to seal in any extra glue left over and then do some light texturing. But it's looking great! It does take a while, especially when you've got kids around :) Good luck! ~gina
ReplyDeleteWe got a travel garment steamer on Amazon for cheap (maybe $20) and it worked well for removing the border in our bedroom. I don't know how it would work on a bigger job like that and I think a lot of it depends on how it was installed. But I steamed and my husband went behind me with a putty knife and scraped. It took about an hour to do the whole room, but it was easy and didn't mess up the walls.
ReplyDeleteEmily...After removing wallpaper in bathrooms before...I decided nothing works! So when I got tired of the wallpaper in my kitchen, I read and read about how to paint over it. What I found that worked great was this: 1) Paint over all the wallpaper with Kilz Primer. 2) If any paper is going to come up at the seams, it will do so at this stage. Go ahead and pull it until it stops tearing. 3) The next step is to take a trowel and Drywall Mud and put on some texure...I prefer to start at the top and drag down...overlapping and repeating over and over. I put as thin a coat of drywall as I can. And I like the way it looks when there is some "drag" to the texture...like an old plaster wall.4) After drywall dries, paint with color of your choice. I love how it turned out. Never will I try to take down wallpaper again!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Julia
I used the steamer (my sister invested in one). It was amazing. Before using it I had used water (without fabric softener) and a scraper. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful you posted this! I'll be working on 3 layers of wallpaper border leftover from previous owners in my guest bath sometime within the next month ~ I've been putting it off but these tips should help!
ReplyDeleteSamantha
keeperofhome.blogspot.com
Hi there! I was surprised to find my weird photo of ammonia and fab softener on your blog today! LOL I will triple swear by this process. And to the blogger who asked if you can use this over plaster walls...ABSOLUTELY. All our walls are plaster and this worked like a miracle. In our entry we had somewhere between 12-15 layers or paper...came off in huge sheets. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PROJECT!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete