Erin's Guide To Wallpaper Removal

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I have learned a lot about how to remove wallpaper over the last few days.  You may want to check out my previous post, Current Home Improvement Projects, to read about and view some pictures of the fun I had trying to remove some very stubborn wallpaper from my guest bedroom. 

I'd like to share my newly gained knowledge with you all now, in order to spare you from the same pain that I just went through. 

First do a test and see how easily the paper comes off.  You may be lucky and have the strippable kind that pretty much just peels right off.  If so, yay!  Your job will be very easy.  Buy a scoring tool and some wallpaper removal spray gel.  Score, spray, wait 15 minutes, and peel away.

Hopefully there are not too many people out there with the old school, non strippable wallpaper still up in their house, but if you happen to be one of them, hopefully the following wallpaper removal tips will help you.


MATERIALS:

drop cloth
paint roller
liquid wallpaper stripper
5" or 6" joint knife for scraping
5 gallon bucket
fabric softener
baking soda


PROCEDURE:

1.  If the very top layer of the paper peels off easily, then first peel all of that off. 
2.  Mix the following solution together:
  • 3 gallons of very hot water
  • wallpaper stripping solution from your local home store such as Lowes or Home Depot.  Make sure it is the kind that is meant to be mixed with water.  Make sure it mentions the word enzyme on the label.
  • 1/4 Tablespoon liquid fabric softener
  • 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
3.  Cover the floor with some sort of tarp or cloth. 
4.  Use a paint roller to apply the solution to the wall.  Apply liberally.  Very liberally.
5.  Wait 15-20 minutes.
6.  Repeat step 3.
7.  Wait another 15-20 minutes.
8.  Repeat step 3 again.
9.  Wait yet another 15-20 minutes.
10.  Use the scraping tool to scrape off the paper.
11.  After the paper is removed, use a white vinegar (1 cup) and water (1 gallon) solution to wash down the walls.
12.  Send me an email letting me know you used this process and how well it worked for you.  Also, send pictures!


NOTES/RECOMMENDATIONS:

I recommend using a 5 gallon bucket to keep the solution in.  It works well for dipping the roller.

I also recommend trying this method on a strip or two before doing the entire room to see how well it works.  You may find you need to tweak the process for your specific project.  Find what works before you go too far or waste too much time and effort.

Yes, you must apply the solution 3 times.  You could try to get away with doing it once or twice but this did not work for me.  Just do it 3 times, ok?  It is well worth the extra time.  Can't stress this enough.

Yes, you must wait 15-20 minutes after each application.  It takes time for the ingredients to work their magic.  Have patience.

Do not use a spray bottle to apply.  The roller works much better.

You may need to use a sponge to get the very top where the wall meets the ceiling.  It's hard to get that area covered well with a roller.

Additional suggestion would be do do one wall at a time rather that try to do the entire thing at once.  This is what I did, but really was just personal preference.


Good luck!

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Related Posts:
Current Home Improvement Projects
Nearly Complete Decorated Guest Bedroom




 



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Stories, advice, and random thoughts from a thirty-something female.

Many people in their thirties are dealing with common issues and concerns. Some of these include buying a home, establishing a career, starting a family, and dealing with aging parents. I will blog about all these things as well as other every day stuff as I make my way through this third decade of life.

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This page contains a single entry by Erin published on December 30, 2008 2:40 AM.

Current Home Improvement Projects was the previous entry in this blog.

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