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How do I remove old wallpaper easily?
Provides techniques for loosening and stripping old wallpaper from walls, dealing with stubborn adhesive.
📅 Created: 4/23/2025, 10:42:46 PM
- Score, Soak with Remover Solution, and Scrape4
Description
Perforating the wallpaper allows a loosening solution to penetrate the adhesive, making scraping easier.
Recipe/Instructions
- Protect Area: Cover floors and nearby furniture with drop cloths. Turn off power to outlets/switches in the area.
- Score Wallpaper: Use a wallpaper scoring tool (like a Paper Tiger) to create small perforations all over the wallpaper surface. This allows the remover solution to reach the adhesive underneath. Don't press so hard you damage the drywall.
- Mix Solution: Prepare a wallpaper removal solution. Options include:
- Commercial wallpaper remover concentrate mixed with warm water (follow product ratio).
- A DIY mix of warm water and fabric softener (approx. 1/4 cup softener per gallon water).
- A DIY mix of warm water and white vinegar (equal parts).
- Soak Wallpaper: Apply the warm solution generously to a section of the scored wallpaper using a sponge, spray bottle, or paint roller. Let it soak for 5-15 minutes (check remover instructions) to allow it to penetrate and loosen the glue. Keep the section wet.
- Scrape: Starting at a seam or loose edge, use a wide putty knife or wallpaper scraper held at a low angle to gently lift and peel the wallpaper away from the wall. If it resists, apply more solution and wait longer.
- Work in Sections: Continue scoring, soaking, and scraping in manageable sections around the room.
- Remove Residue: After removing the paper, wash the walls with clean water or a specialized wallpaper adhesive remover to get rid of any remaining glue residue. Let walls dry completely before priming/painting.
What makes the Dish Special
N/A - The standard, most effective manual method for removing traditional wallpaper.
📌 diy/commercial 🛠️ Wallpaper scoring tool, spray bottle or sponge/roller, bucket, commercial wallpaper remover OR fabric softener OR white vinegar, warm water, putty knife or wallpaper scraper, drop cloths, painter's tape (optional), ladder (optional)4/23/2025, 10:42:46 PM
solution - Use a Wallpaper Steamer4
Description
A wallpaper steamer uses hot steam to loosen the adhesive quickly and efficiently, often reducing the need for scoring or chemical removers.
Recipe/Instructions
- Rent or purchase an electric wallpaper steamer.
- Protect floors and surroundings.
- Fill the steamer's reservoir with water according to instructions and let it heat up.
- Hold the steamer's pad flat against a section of the wallpaper for the recommended time (usually 15-30 seconds) until the steam penetrates and softens the paper and glue.
- Move the steamer pad to an adjacent area while using a scraper to peel off the section just steamed. The wallpaper should come off more easily.
- Work methodically across the wall.
- Be careful working with steam to avoid burns. Keep the steamer pad moving to avoid oversaturating and damaging the drywall.
- Wash walls afterward to remove residue.
What makes the Dish Special
N/A - Often faster and uses only water/steam, effective on multiple layers or stubborn adhesive.
📌 commercial/diy 🛠️ Wallpaper steamer, wallpaper scraper, drop cloths, gloves (recommended)4/23/2025, 10:42:46 PM
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