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Home DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper
By
Danelle Ice - Home Ever After |
September 28th, 2009 |
Category:
DIY Projects |
1 Comment »
This short home DIY project video shows how to remove wallpaper. The skill level for this home DIY project is intermediate. How easy or how difficult it is to remove wallpaper depends greatly on factors beyond your control, such as what type of wallpaper was installed and if the walls were properly prepared before hanging the wallpaper.
If you’re a beginner and you’re determined to take on a project which involves removing wallpaper in your house, make sure you watch the video below several times first. Get all the proper tools before beginning, and expect the unexpected (you can find a lot of hidden surprises, like mold and mildew, under old wallpaper).
Our bathroom DIY project of removing wallpaper had some shocking roadblocks along the way, including the discovery of walls that were not properly primed before the wallpaper was hung 30 years ago. This can result in a situation like we had in which the top layer of wallpaper comes off but leaves either adhesive behind and/or removes layers of the drywall with it. If this happens during your wallpaper removal project, you’ll want to read our article about how to repair drywall before you continue on with painting the walls.
Health and safety warning: This video shows two methods for removing wallpaper. The first is using gel adhesive remover and the second is using a wallpaper steamer. Please keep in mind that while gel adhesive remover may be more effective, many brands do contain chemicals known to cause birth defects, so make sure you check the label before purchasing it. If you are pregnant or uncertain about using these chemicals in your home, opt for the wallpaper steaming method of removal instead.
(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)
Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!
I’ve removed a lot of wall paper in my house. The trick that helped me get all of the old adhesive off was to take a spray bottle and spritz the area where I was working, then scrape it off with a paint scraper.