The most effective ways to remove old wallpaper from the walls

It's no secret that before you start repairing the walls, you need to completely remove the old finish. But how easy is it to remove old wallpaper from walls - quickly and effortlessly? After all, they often have to be scraped off literally centimeter by centimeter. Of course, it is most hygienic to take paper wallpapers in a wet way. But what if they are moisture resistant or vinyl? Let's find out all the tricks of professionals.

Preparatory work

Before you remove the old wallpaper, the room must be carefully prepared. Then the process will be quick and easy. So what needs to be done?

1. Completely free the room from furniture. If some elements could not be removed, they must be covered with a film or rags.
2. It is also necessary to cover the floors. To prevent the film from slipping, you can lay cardboard or thick sheets of paper on it.
3. If you plan to remove the old wallpaper with water, you must turn off the electricity. Or you can just cover the switches and sockets with plastic wrap, carefully fixing it with tape. This must be done, otherwise a short circuit can lead to an accident.
4. To prevent debris and dust from spreading further around the house, a damp cloth should be put on the doorstep.
5. In addition, all tools must be assembled in advance so that in the process you do not waste time searching for the right one.

What fixtures may be needed?

Whether it’s vinyl or paper wallpaper, you won’t take them with your bare hands. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that the following tools are at hand:

• ladder;
• gloves
• bags, garbage bags;
• sharp spatulas of various widths;
• stationery knife;
• sponges, rags, roller;
• container with warm water.

In addition, if it is necessary to quickly and easily remove old vinyl wallpapers, it is advisable to acquire additional tools: a steam generator, a wallpaper tiger (roller with needles) and a special liquid means for removing wall coverings.

Paper Wallpaper Removal

Paper wallpapers come in several forms: single-layer, two-layer (duplex), with a moisture-resistant front surface (washable). Let's find out how best to remove old wallpapers from each type of wall.

• Single layer paper wallpaper.

This is the simplest coating that can be easily removed with ordinary warm water. Old wallpapers are moistened with a wet rag and after 5-7 minutes they are removed in a downward direction.

• Two-layer paper wallpaper.

Duplex gets wet longer, so after moisturizing you need to wait 10 minutes. Also, when removed, they can delaminate, but if the walls are even and do not need to be repaired, the bottom layer can be left (new materials will be better glued to it). If the coating needs to be removed completely, then the moistening of the walls should be repeated again.

• Washable paper wallpaper.

Moisture-resistant surface does not allow water to pass through, therefore, in order for water to penetrate, the top layer must be destroyed. The easiest way to do this is with a special tool - a wallpaper tiger. However, if it was not at hand, you can simply gently scratch the washable layer with a knife, iron sponge or any other sharp tool. In addition, it is better to repeat wetting several times with an interval of 15 minutes, then the old paper wallpaper will be removed quickly and easily.

Removing vinyl wallpaper

Vinyl wallpapers in most cases consist of a paper base and a polymer layer (polyvinyl chloride). Thanks to this combination, they are easy to glue, they are durable and well protected from moisture.In addition, the topcoat may have various additional characteristics. There are vinyl wallpapers with silk thread, washable, foamed. Some of them are even adapted for cleaning with solvent or alcohol. That is why old vinyl wallpapers are not as easy to remove as paper ones. In most cases, a special roller with needles is indispensable. So what should you do?

1. Walk wallpaper tiger over the entire surface of the walls.
2. Moisten the first cloth with a rag or roller, after 5 minutes the second and after the same period of time the third.
3. Pry off the upper part of the wallpaper strip with the spatula, which was moistened first, and then gently pull down.
4. Re-moisten all remaining small pieces and proceed to the second sheet.
5. After removing the 3rd canvas, return to the beginning of work and clean up the scraps with a spatula.
6. Process the next three in the same way.

It is this method that allows you to remove old wallpaper from the walls very quickly and easily, on average, removing 3 canvases takes from 30 to 45 minutes.

Tip

You do not need to moisten a surface that is too large: until you reach it, it will dry completely.

Difficult cases

Very often difficulties arise when, instead of a special water-soluble glue, vinyl wallpaper was “planted” on PVA, bustilate or any other compound that is not afraid of the effects of water. In this case, they can be removed from the walls only using a grinding machine with a coarse-grained skin or a drill with a round brush head. However, it is advisable to use the tool only to remove traces of glue, as well as small pieces of wallpaper. The rest of the wall surface will have to be processed manually with a spatula.

Another very often question arises: how to remove old wallpaper from walls covered with drywall? In most cases, this is impossible, it remains only to glue a new coating on top. The fact is that the top cardboard layer is firmly connected to the paper and the use of the wet method or special means can simply damage it. If gypsum plasterboard was putty, then there are usually no difficulties. You can use water, a spatula, or specially designed products.

Tip

In order for the new wallpaper to last for a long time, it is important to let the walls dry, if necessary, plaster or putty and, finally, cover with a primer.

Special tools

In the case when the time is very tight, you can use a special tool (steam puller) or purchase a liquid to remove wallpaper. The last craftsmen learned to make from improvised means. Let's look at each option in more detail.

1. Steam puller. Technical device, which consists of a perforated steam sole and a vessel with water. It is powered by electricity or heated by bottled gas. Steam penetrates into the material much faster than water, thanks to this the steam extractor can significantly save valuable time. It is better and more effective than other devices, removes old wallpaper with glue, does not spoil the plaster and putty. Some even try to replace it with a household iron, ironing the walls through a damp cloth. However, this is a rather time-consuming process, and dealing with it alone is not easy.
2. Liquid for removing wallpaper from the walls. The most commonly used products are Zinsser, Atlas Alpan, Quelyd Dissoucol. They quickly penetrate the structure of the wallpaper, which helps to remove them better and more efficiently. Such products do not contain hazardous substances and can be used indoors in the presence of people. The solution is prepared strictly according to the instructions, but if there was a desire to enhance the effect, you can mix the liquid with wallpaper glue. The resulting jelly is applied in a dense layer on the surface of the walls, and after about 3 hours the wallpaper is left behind in whole pieces.
3. Folk recipes. For greater effectiveness of the wet method of removing old wallpaper in water, you can add vinegar, detergent or fabric softener. For cooking, it is necessary to dissolve 2 tablespoons of any of the products in boiling water, and then apply to the wallpaper.

As you can see, you can remove old wallpaper from the walls by different methods. However, so that the process does not take much time, it is important to take into account all the subtleties and know the little tricks. This will avoid many mistakes, reduce repair time and, importantly, keep your nerves healthy.