I HATE my old wallpaper, what do I do now?

Wallpaper of the 1980’s and 1990’s were the upgrade almost everyone was performing to their house back then, but now that wallpaper is in most cases is a downgrade.

Over time the seems start to lift, corners start to separate from the wall and where the back of the chair touches the wall it has worn out that area.

WHAT TO DO NOW?

Seems can be glued back down as well as the corners.  The worn out spot behind the chair can be patched in with the leftover roll in the basement (might now match due to fading) but if you are looking for an upgrade or to ready the home for sale, most likely it would be wallpaper removal time.

Removing wallpaper:

A few steps will walk you thru the process.  Please note: not all wallpaper acts the same when it comes to removal. some releases freely and other times you might want to give up and move.

• tape off your baseboard and place plastic down on the floor as well as an old drop cloth to absorb water.
• there are many wallpaper removal chemicals on the market but as an old timer shared with me was White vinegar and hot water works well in some cases, except for the smell.
• mix water and vinegar and light mist until the wallpaper is wet and let sit for it to soak in. (we prefer not to utilize a wallpaper score tool so not to damage the walls)
• Be careful at this point when removing the wallpaper with scrapers that you do not knick or gouge the walls as it will take additional work to remedy this.
• peel away the wallpaper starting at the seem or top with a sharp putty knife or similar tool. remember to be careful around electrical switches and receptacles.
• The paper we have found in many cases comes off in three parts.

1. the outer layer, most times comes off in large pieces and sometimes the entire sheet at once
2. the second layer which is the pieces that are glued to the wall and come off in much smaller pieces.
3. The glue.  once the wall dries from spraying you will find a gritty feel on the wall. this is residual glue.

Once you have all the wallpaper off, it is time to deal with the glue residue.  We use a wallpaper remover such as DIF (brand name) at this point.  spray on and use a broad knife to scrape off.

Now you are ready for painting prep

Look for our next blog:  Prepping and painting after Wallpaper removal