Real Estate by Sims

The first thing you need to do is understand what kind of wallpaper that you have. Solid vinyl and fabric backed papers, called dry strippable, can usually be entirely removed by simply pulling them from the wall without little effort or mess. If you find this to be the case, just peel away the paper and you ready to refinish however you like. However, the most common wallpaper in residential homes are vinyl coated papers. They have a vinyl face and a paper backing. Removing this type of paper takes a little more effort and a lot of patience.

Be aware that wallpaper removal can cause damage to the walls. Most removal damage is caused by the fact that the walls were not primed with a wallpaper primer before the walls were wallpapered. This resulted in the glue being absorbed into the wallboard. The top layers of wallboard will try to come off with the wallpaper backing. If this occurs in large areas, you will have to be prepared to resurface the area before you can apply a new finish. Test a small, inconspicuous area before trying a larger area, and consider alternatives to removing the wallpaper.

If the walls were properly prepared (a couple of good coats of paint or wallpaper primer) before the wallpaper was applied, or if you have plaster walls, you should be able to strip the paper with little or no damage at all to the walls. The process can be messy at times so all furniture and flooring should be properly protected before you begin. You should also remove any outlet covers and cover the openings with plastic, sealing the edges well with tape. Cutting the electrical power to this room is advised.

Start by peeling the vinyl face of the paper from the wall. Then you need to wet the paper using a solution of a gallon of very warm water and a cap full of fabric softener. You can also use a solution of a gallon of water to cap full of vinegar. (There is no need to spend a lot of money on expensive wallpaper strippers.) You can apply the water with a sponge or a paint roller. You can even use a garden sprayer if you have a large room. The goal is to saturate the paper, not to have water running down the walls. Thus, a couple of light applications over the course of about 20-30 minutes will be necessary.

It is tempting to start scrapping right away, but this is where your patience will pay off. Let the solution do its work. Once the paper is completely saturated, the adhesive on the back of the paper will loosen. The paper will then peel right off the wall. Work on saturating the room in about 4 foot sections so one area can be soaking while you are peeling the previously prepared area. Use a 6 inch broad knife to slid the paper off in long strips. You can even use a plastic spatula to avoid nicking the wallboard with a knife. If there is any resistance, apply more solution and wait a little longer.

After all the backing is removed clean the walls with a sponge and new solution of warm water with a little fabric softener. You should allow the walls to dry completely before preparing to refinish them. If you plan to reapply wallpaper, you should apply a wallpaper primer. If you plan to paint, you should apply an acrylic primer or sealer to the walls before painting.

If you encounter several layers of wallpaper and paint, use these same steps, stripping only one layer at a time. Remember patience is the key, let the solution do its job.

Tags: Buyers, Renovating, Sellers, Wallpaper