No one enjoys removing wallpaper. There are many techniques of varying difficulty, but if you follow the steps below, removing wallpaper is actually a fairly simple process.
Prepare the Room
Since removing wallpaper involves the use of various liquids, you really want to invest in drop cloths to place at the base of the walls needing paper removal. You won’t have to worry about doing any sort of liquid damage to your floors and it allows for easy cleanup when the job is complete.
Score the Wall
A wallpaper scorer is a handheld tool that leaves small holes on the paper it is rolled across. This tool is vital for removing wallpaper because it will allow your solution to break down the adhesive attaching the paper to the wall. Gently roll the scorer over the wall to make sure you have plenty of holes in the paper. The more solution you can get to the adhesive, the easier it will be to remove the paper.
Prepare Your Solution
While you can buy many different prepackaged solutions in hardware or paint stores from Cranston to North Kingstown, it is often just as easy to make your own. A simple mixture of hot water and vinegar or hot water and fabric softener can be poured in a spray bottle and applied to the wall. Let the solution sit for around 30 minutes and then move to the final step.
Paper Removal
Start from a corner of the wall and gently pull the paper from the wall. The solution should allow the removal of large strips at one time. Any small strips that are left over can be pried up and removed with a straight razor or a dull edge tool such as a putty knife. After the paper has been removed, gently wipe the wall down with warm water to remove any leftover adhesive.
If this is your first time removing wallpaper in your Jamestown or Westerly area home, practice on a small portion of the wall that is typically covered by furniture. Once you get a feel for the process, move on to tackling the entire wall. Keep in mind that the scorer can sometimes go through the paper and leave some small imprints on the actual wall. This typically only happens if you apply too much pressure when using the scorer. In the event this happens, a thin layer of wall putty can cover those spots easily.
If you are taking on a project that requires a significant amount of wallpaper removal, you can always contact a painting contractor. Here at Happy Trees painting we are happy to give advice or set up a consultation if needed. Give us a call at (401) 297-6200