How to Remove Old Wallpapers at Home

How to Remove Old Wallpapers at Home

Removing old wallpapers at home by ourselves is usually an easy task. Whether you plan putting some new wallpapers or just want to have your walls painted, you will need to remove your old wallpapers first.

So, before we start giving any specific pieces of advice, we must say that you should not be worried before you start the removal procedure because this is actually within the reach or anyone. The most important thing is to have the right attitude and a successful approach, a few useful tools and will to make things happen.

Preparation

The very first thing you need to do is get all pieces of furniture out of the room. If they are too heavy or you can’t get them out by any other reason, you can just put them in the middle of the room and cover them with something.

Remove anything that is hanging on the walls – paintings, photographs, etc. Try to isolate all electrical sockets. Then cover the floor with something. You can use nylon, canvas or even old sheets. The main goal is to keep your floor clean and dry, because you will probably need to use a lot of water.

Make an experiment

Try to remove the old wallpaper without treating it with any water or detergents. If you are lucky, this might be possible, which will save you a lot of time and efforts. However, if your wallpapers is teared into small pieces, stop.

What should you do in that case? Try to sprinkle some water on your wallpapers. If it is easily absorbed and the wallpapers look soaking wet, everything is fine. However, if the water flows down the wall and your wallpapers do not absorb it, you need to stop. Try to scratch your wallpapers before applying any more water, because this will save you a lot of time later. Then the wallpapers are too dry, their upper layer prevents the water from penetrating deep into it and get to the adhesive  underneath. This is why you need to scratch the wallpapers with a suitable tool, for example a sharp knife. However, you should not overdo with the pressure because you don’t want to damage the wall.

Removing Wall Paper

Find a solution that actually works

First apply water only. This actually works in most cases, because most wallpaper glues are water-based. You should apply some warm water on a small area of your wallpaper with a sprayer or a paint roller. Wait for about five minutes and then try to remove as much of it as you can without tearing it. You can also use a sharp knife or another tool.

If your wallpapers are still tearing into small pieces, keep looking for a solution of the problem. You can try mixing hot water and some laundry softener. If this doesn’t work, put more softener. And don’t forget to keep trying if this doesn’t work either. Another tip you can use when removing your wallpapers at home, is to apply a mixture of warm water and vinegar. Remember to wait for at least fifteen minutes before trying to remove the wallpapers.

Trying the water-and-softener or the water-and-vinegar approaches should be good enough. However, if your wallpapers are still tearing into little pieces or are firmly stuck to the wall, try to find a wallpaper remover into a specialized store.

Finally – removing the wallpapers

Whether you spray your wallpapers or water them with a paint roller, remember that you shouldn’t dampen a larger area than you can actually remove in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. Apply the water from top to bottom.

Room after Removing Wallpaper

Remember to try not to damage the wall, especially if you are using some sharp tools or a knife. Make sure there are no dry areas because there is a great danger of removing part of the wall coat along with your wallpapers. Clean the wall carefully, if there are still some small pieces of paper left – that would usually do the trick.

The article is sponsored by London cleaning services.