Is the wallpaper on your walls making your home look old and outdated? You may be deciding on a change of color and theme away from wallpaper. More and more people are switching to painted walls verses wallpaper these days. If you’re joining them you will need to remove the old wallpaper to make way for the painted walls you desire. However, removing wallpaper can be a dreaded chore as well as a pain to remove. All Painting & Restoration will share a few different methods of removing wallpaper with ease. There are three major methods used professionally to strip or remove wallpaper. They are: Dry-Stripping, Chemical Soak, and Steam Treating. Each method has it own process of making the removal of wallpaper easier.
Dry-Stripping Wallpaper Removal
For this method, you will first want to test a piece of the wallpaper by ripping from the corner or seam. You can use a utility knife blade to start a piece if necessary. As you grip a piece of the wallpaper, rip it at a 15 degree angle. Sometimes when it comes to older wallpapers, the adhesive has worn away and at this point it might all come down with no added efforts. If you found this is not the case, you can implement the dry-stripping for the remainder of the wallpaper. To weaken the adhesive, use a heavy-duty detergent with a high level of trisodium phosphate. Put this detergent into a bucket and while wearing gloves, use a sponge and wipe down the wall. Do one section at a time, concentrating on one strip of wallpaper. Once the adhesive has been worn away, the rest of the wallpaper will come off, hassle free. Make sure to wipe the wall down with water to remove any leftover adhesive or detergent from off the wall before you begin to paint.
Chemical Soak Wallpaper Removal
When using the chemical soaking method, you will want to score the walls first. Score lightly to just penetrate the wallpaper and not the actual walls. This will allow the chemical adhesive remover to soak into the wallpaper. Most chemical adhesive removers are diluted with water. Be sure to read the directions to see how to apply properly. You can apply the chemical with a sponge, spray bottle, or paint roller. Once applied allow the chemical to soak on the wall for 30 minutes to weaken or dissolve the adhesive behind the wallpaper. Make sure to wear gloves when you apply any chemical remover. While wearing the gloves, peel the wallpaper off of the walls. At this point, it should come down with ease. Again wipe down the wall with water before painting.
Wallpaper Remover Steamer Treatments
For the steam treatment, you will need to also score the walls. Make the cut again using a utility knife blade but make crisscross patterns in the wall. A wallpaper steamer works just like a clothes iron. It will need to be filled with water and let the steamer heat up. Once the steamer has time to heat up, gently press the steamer down one section of wallpaper at a time. Rip it off before steaming the next strip. After the wallpaper has been pulled down, you will use an adhesive remover and wipe down the wall to remove any excess adhesive left on the walls. Afterwards, wipe down with water and sponge before painting your walls. Again use gloves when handling an adhesive remover.
Wallpaper Removal & More in Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Greer, Springfield, Eagar, McNary, Alpine, Heber/Overgaard, Payson, Snowflake/Taylor & White Mountains Area of Arizona
Removing wallpaper doesn’t have to be taxing. With the right methods, removing wallpaper can be done with ease. Also don’t underestimate the power of vinegar. Vinegar can also break down most adhesives and works well to remove wallpaper if you’re under a budget and don’t mind the smell. You can always acquire the services of All Painting & Restoration. We provide wallpaper removal where you can be spared the headache and time of stripping the wallpaper yourself. Contact All Painting & Restoration today to utilize our services.