How do you get wallpaper off of the wall?

Wallpaper removal is just about the opposite of fun. What a pain in the butt.

First, try filling a bottle with warm water and saturating the paper. It will get a little bit messy, but hopefully that will loosen the adhesive enough that you can start scraping away at the paper. I helps if you are able to pull at least some of the paper off before you start spraying, makes it easier for the water to get through. Then use a scraper to start removing the paper. If that doesn’t work, you may have to resort to chemical wallpaper removers (DIF is a well known brand) or rent/buy a steam wallpaper remover.

There’s a wallpaper removal spray. Spray it, wait, and peel or scrape.

Use a steamer.

Fill a bottle with fabric softener. Get a scoring tool and score the wallpaper. Then spray it and let it sit. Then attempt removal.

depends on the vehicle with which it was applied. For garden variety wallpaper paste a steamer. Works especially well when wallaper is plasticky or moisture-resistant [like in a bathroom]. For newer adhesives [say on roll paper cornice borders] look at directions with the border/paper. Some [similar to contac paper] need acetone.

Your teddy bears may need acetone but try steamer first as is safest and other above recommendations first. Acetone is also a solvent with latex paints after they have dried.

Go to your local Home Depot (or equivalent) and ask the people in the paint dept which is the best wallpaper remover. The kind I used was a blue gooey type, I think. You spray it on and scrape it off. It’s not too terrible… I actually enjoy doing it.

Go to the hardware store and get a a tool called a “Paper Tiger” it is a tool to score holes in the paper to absorb water and chemicals. Then get a good sized spray bottle. Big enough to hold plent of water but small enought to comfortably hold in your hands. Get a product called “Dif” It is a chemical that will losen the glue. Sometimes just hot water works. You will need a type of scraper called a wallpaper scraper. It is bascally a long razor blade ( be very careful as it is very very very sharp).

Use the paper tiger to score holes in the wallpaper. Don’t press too hard or you will need to use spackling the repair the holes in the drywall. The holes however may be unavoidable. So it would be a good idea to get some drywall spackling.

You will also need a five gallon bucket.

In a five gallon bucket put in very hot water. As hot as you can get from the faucet. Then add some of the Dif. In the Spray bottle put hot water(as hot as possible from the faucet) and add some Dif. Shake the bottle to mixe the chemical.

S[ray the walls with water and allow to soak. Do this about 3 times and make sure you soak the wallpaper generously. Start removing the wallpaper with the scraper. Start at the seams as this will be easier. The wallpaper should remove easily if the wallpaper was hung properly. If not hung properly you might have one heck of a job in front of you

Sometimes you can remove the decorated layer of the wallpaper by hand or with the scraper without wetting it. Then you can wet the backing and that will be easier.

After the wallpaper is removed clean the walls to remove all the glue and then let it dry. Repair any drywall/Plaster damage. Prime the walls with a quality primer. You may have to prime the ceiling as well if the removal process damaged the ceiling.

Very simple. Only three tools needed for 95% of the job!

The paper tiger (as mentioned above) to perforate the paper.

Rent a steamer for this at Home Depot (inexpensive to rent). If the steamer gets nice and hot, and you perforated the wall, it should peel off quite easily.

Third tool is a “scraper.” Anything with a hard, flat edge, to gently scrape any extra adhesive from the wall.

Don’t be intimidated. If you swing for the steamer rental, it’s easy as pie.